Nothing Else Matters
by ladybell
Summary: Modern Day. Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley head off to Redmond University while learning about life and each other. Gilbert's POV
1. Chapter 1

Hello, everyone! It's been awhile since I posted anything here. My life has been so incredibly busy that I haven't found the time to write as much as I used to. However, I found this story that I wrote years ago that I thought you all would like. Enjoy!

- ladybell

* * *

**Nothing Else Matters**

**Chapter 1**

They say it's only natural to want what you can't have, and in my case it couldn't be any truer. I've been in love with Anne Shirley ever since that first day of school many years ago, and I can remember it as if it were yesterday.

Let's flashback to six or seven years ago, shall we? I was a 14-year-old schoolboy who was - and I admit -very immature. I took joy in teasing the girls. It was fun; I couldn't help it! Besides, it was way too easy. They'd scream or cry whenever I'd poke them or call them names or throw stuff at them, and I'd sit back in my seat and laugh. It was mean to do such a thing, I know, but that's the way things were. They didn't fight back or anything; therefore, it made everything so much better. I have no idea why, but despite the fact that I'd tease those girls silly, they were all crazy about me. I tried my best to avoid Josie Pye and Julia Bell. Those two were the worst, especially Josie; who else writes "TAKE NOTICE!" in all caps on the wall anyway? The only reason why I did associate with Josie in the first place was because I could, and I knew it would make all of those girls jealous.

Then one day, Anne entered my life and turned it completely upside down. She was the new girl in town and was apparently the talk of the town. The Cuthberts adopted this new orphan girl, and it was a bold move, especially for Marilla. I knew the history between her and my father, and it was always awkward whenever a Cuthbert was mentioned in a conversation. Anyway, I remember hearing about Anne from the other kids in school and couldn't wait to meet this new girl. It was someone new that I could pick on, but boy, was I ever in for a surprise. I took my seat across the aisle from Anne and Diana Barry and waited to make my move. In order to get her attention, I pinned Ruby Gillis' braid to the back of her chair and watched her scream.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" she cried.

It was the funniest thing I've ever seen. Ruby tried to get her hair off the chair while I went back to "studying." I did my best to keep a straight face so the teacher, Mr. Phillips, wouldn't suspect that I did anything. I looked over at Anne and gave her a wink, and to my surprise, she looked away with disgust. That wasn't the reaction that I was used to getting. Girls would usually blush when I did such a thing and whisper to their neighbor, "Oh my gosh, Gilbert winked at me!" But not Anne. Since she wouldn't look at me, I decided to get her attention. I rolled up little wads of paper and threw them at her, but she still wouldn't look. That's when I had the brilliant idea of pulling on one of her red pigtails.

"Carrots!" I whispered. "Carrots!"

She turned around and gave me the most hateful look I ever saw. Her face was as red as a tomato and yelled the harshest words my ears had ever heard. "You mean, hateful boy! How dare you!" She reached behind and grabbed her binder and smacked me over the head with it, sending the pens and pencils in there flying across the area of my desk and my lap. The room went silent. Mr. Phillips approached Anne and took her to the front of the room.

"It's my fault, sir. I'm the one who teased her," I said, trying to get her from being punished.

He didn't listen to me. Anne was forced to stay after school and copy down word for word "Ann Shirley has a bad temper," but knowing her, I knew she'd add an extra "e" where it belonged. I waited for her after school and tried to apologize, but she wouldn't budge. She simply stuck her nose in the air and walked home with Diana. I overheard her talking to Diana, saying "I shall never forgive Gilbert Blythe," and I smiled. Normally I wouldn't do such a thing, but I couldn't help myself. Any girl who refuses to look at me and has the guts to smack me on the head with a five pound binder is someone special. This girl was certainly something.

Fast forward to six or seven years later. Anne and I had become friends - good friends. We could talk for hours about nothing and just hang out. I knew all of Avonlea had secretly gossiped for years about us being together for eternity, and I hoped that they were right. I fell head over heels for Anne and decided one day to ask her to marry me. And that's where I went wrong.

It was a beautiful, sunny day at Patty's Place. Anne was sitting outside in the orchard and looked absolutely stunning with the sun highlighting her features. I gathered mayflowers and gave them to her. We had a bit of small talk before I poured my heart out to her. Maybe I was a bit too forward in my delivery because that's when I heard her say, "I-I can't."

Was I hearing things? Did she honestly say "I can't"?

"What do you mean?" I asked, wanting to know if I was hallucinating or not.

"I'm so sorry, Gilbert, but I can't marry you," she said. She looked in the other direction.

"But why? Don't you love me?"

"I care a great deal for you, Gil. Really I do but not in that kind of way."

"Is there someone else?" Desperation led me to ask that.

"No. I'm perfectly happy with where I am. I don't want anything to change. Can't we just be friends?"

Friends. Sure that could work, but I'm in love with her. How can I think about friendship with I'm in love with her? But I guess it's better than nothing.

"Sure, Anne."

"Thanks, Gil."

She gave me a hug and then went away, and I watched her run back into the house.

And this is where I am now, my first day at Redmond University. It's a little weird being here on my own away from the usual comforts of home, meaning Mom's home cooking and Anne, but I have to do this. My ultimate goal is to become a doctor. I want to help people, and being a doctor is just one way to do it. It'll be a slow and steady process, but I'm up to the challenge. Studying for exams is nothing; it's the thought of Anne being with someone else that's driving me insane. This is the first time that she's out of Avonlea too, and I know that other guys will fall for her charm just like I did. Maybe while I'm here I'll meet someone else who I can fall for, but I don't know if she'll ever compare to my Anne.

* * *

I walked into my first class of the day, which happened to be history, and it already seemed that the girls here were already starting to notice me. I don't get it. Had Josie Pye been talking to them or something? I don't know. Sure, I would have loved this reaction when I was younger but not now. The only girl I want noticing me is Anne, and she won't have me. But I can't keep my mind on her for too long because unlike most people here I actually do want to learn something.

I look over to my right, and there's a guy sitting in the corner who the girls are also swooning over.

"Oh, Roy!" I hear the girls say while they flutter their fake eyelashes and try their best to flirt with him.

He sees me looking over in his direction and gives me the little head nod as if to say "What's up?" I give one back, and we both go back to where we were before. The professor walks in, and then class starts. I admit it was hard sitting through his lecture on various kinds of wars and weapons used throughout the centuries for two hours or so, but at least I made it. My new buddy, Roy, on the other hand, isn't as lucky. He's fast asleep, and I swear the guys over there are trying to draw a unibrow or something across his face. It'd be pretty funny though; I'll admit that.

After class is over, I'm approached by some guys that I met earlier who are begging me to come to a party.

"Blythe, you gotta come to our party tonight," said Brad.

"Please, dude! We need chicks!" pleaded Ryan.

"Yeah, and you're 'the hot one' according to all the girls here," added Colin. "I've heard them talk about you. Once they know you're coming, they'll come, and we'll have a chance to score!"

"Please, dude!"

"I'll think about it," I said. I'm really not a party animal as the typical male college student stereotype perceives me to be, and I really want to keep it that way.

"C'mon, Blythe. Just one party, man. It won't kill you, and besides, there are some pretty hot chicks after you," said Ryan. "Like Christine Stuart. That girl is smokin'."

"Oh yeah. If you get her to come, we'll love you forever, man," said Brad.

"You get her to go, and we'll never ask you to do this ever again," added Colin.

I don't know if that's gonna be true or not, but I really want them to leave me alone after this. So I caved. "Alright. I'll go."

"Woohoo! We're getting chicks tonight!"

Lovely. "So I'll see you guys tonight."

"Later, bro!"

I leave, letting the guys celebrate on their own. I go to the rest of my classes for the day thinking, "What did I just get myself into?" Maybe it won't be so bad. I'll at least have a chance at meeting some new people, and I'll get to check out this Christine Stuart girl that the guys are raving about. Who knows? Maybe she'll be the person after my own heart.

I finally got a chance to walk into the frat house where the party will be held, and needless to say the guys were, in a word that I'm gonna borrow from their terminology here, "stoked."

"Blythe, you made it!" exclaimed Colin as he pats me on the back.

"Dude, I'm so glad you came! The chicks heard that you were coming, and they're totally rushing to get ready to come over here," said Ryan.

"I've got the booze!" announced Brad. He places the cans of beer in a cooler.

Wonderful. Like I said before, I'm not a big party loving kinda guy; I'd much rather stay at home and relax. Besides, I'm not a big believer in getting yourself drunk just to have a good time. It's just not me. There are other ways to have fun while being sober at the same time...like doing tag team bowling with your best friend and almost getting kicked out of the bowling alley five times because the employees there were all cranky and wanted you to stop throwing ten balls at a time down the lane. But that's another story.

Anyway, loads of people started arriving, and needless to say, I didn't feel too comfortable. I was like a fish out of water and desperately wanted to get back to its bowl. I saw Roy there, and he gave the little nod like he did before in class. I gave one back and left him there to mingle with the various puckbunny, hockey like groupies in the corner.

Brad ran up to me and tapped me on the shoulder. "Dude, Christine Stuart's here! I love you man!"

So I'm guessing I'll never have to show up to one of these parties ever again assuming that the guys keep their promise.

He pointed me to the direction where Christine was standing, and I automatically knew why the guys were crazy about her. There was an angelic like quality about her that came with her beauty. She was tall and had sweet violet eyes with dark brown silky hair. There was no question that she was a beauty, but did she have any personality? That I would have to find out.

I made my way through the crowd and decided to talk to her.

"Hi," I said timidly.

"Hi," she said back, giving a smile.

"It's a little weird here, isn't it?"

"Yeah, a little bit."

We started having some small talk, and it was quite a pleasant experience despite the fact that we were surrounded by crazy drunks. We were in the middle of our conversation when I noticed a blurred face walking towards me. I couldn't see because of the crowd, but when I squinted my eyes, I could make out the figure of a redheaded girl. Anne?

"Excuse me for a moment," I said to Christine.

I made my way from where I was standing and saw the girl bolting in the other direction. I had to follow her to see if it was her or not, so I did and went after her outside. She stumbled from her shoe, and I caught her by the arm. Sure enough, it was her.

"Anne?" I asked.

She looked up at me and nodded. "Oh, Gil. I'm an idiot. I should have never let those girls talk me into this!"

"What?"

"I always wanted to have the college experience first-hand, and now I'm finding out what it's like." She started to walk towards her dorm.

"Anne, wait!"

She turned around before walking back. "Go back to your friend, Gil. It'd be rude of you to leave her behind like that."

When she walked back, I felt as if I were punched in the stomach. I slowly made my way back to Christine to tell her goodbye for the night and headed to my dorm.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to all that have read this story and reviewed!

A Forgotten One - I tried to make Gil a bit more modern while still making him stand out from the other guys. I love him, too. ;)  
Veronica - I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'm not the best at writing descriptions, but essentially this is a story about Gil and Anne and their love for one another.

Here's the next installment!

-ladybell

* * *

**Chapter 2**

I went to my classes the next day feeling tired and miserable. Yep, Anne had seen me with Christine, and I'm assuming that's why she left all of a sudden. She wouldn't just leave like that, would she? I couldn't think straight at all, but I at least kept my concentration up long enough to make it through the rest of the day.

After school, I went into the library to study and chose a table to sit down. As I'm laying down my book, I look to my right, and I see Anne with Roy! That guy is not doing what I think he's doing, is he? I immediately sat down and opened the book to a random page. I act as if I'm studying when in reality I'm trying to listen in to their conversation.

"And that's how you graph 3-D vectors," Anne explained as she finished her sketch.

"Wow," Roy said. "Thanks a lot, Anne."

"No problem. Don't mention it."

Anne stood up to leave when Roy put his hand on her arm. "Listen, do you have any plans for tonight?"

Please say no to him, Anne. Please say no to him!

"No," she said. "Why?"

"Do you wanna see a movie with me?"

She smiled. "Sure. What movie?"

"How about the latest romantic comedy out now, and let's say 7:00?"

"I'd love it."

"I'll see you then."

Anne smiled and walked away, leaving Roy with a goofy smile on his face. Boy, I wish I could just go over there and hit him. But just as I was about to turn around, Christine took a seat at my table. "Hey."

"Hi, Christine. How are you?"

"Good, Gil. You?"

"Not too bad."

"That's good. What are you doing here?"

"Just trying to catch up on some things." Like some peace of mind, but that just got ruined.

"Me, too."

Christine and I basically started picking up from where we left off the night before in our conversation, and that's when I couldn't help myself. "Christine, do you have any plans for tonight?"

"No." I saw her get a twinkle in her eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"Do you want to go to the movies with me tonight?"

"I'd love to! What time?"

"I don't know...7:00?"

"Wonderful."

She gave me a hug. "I'll see you then." And with that, she left.

I know I shouldn't be acting like a five-year-old boy in a situation like this, but I really don't care. Anne is someone who I'll always love and admire, and I just can't let her go that easily. I'm not going to go stalker crazy on her because I love her too much to scare her half to death. I just don't like this Roy character at all and wouldn't trust him with my life, yet I have to know what he plans to do with Anne.

* * *

I went back to my dorm to prepare for my "date" with Christine. To be honest, I was a bit nervous. Why? This was the first time that I took someone out besides Anne, but Anne and I never officially "went out." We just hung out like normal friends did, and contrary to popular belief, I never went out with a lot of girls. Sure, I like to tease them every now and then, but as to dating every one of them, I didn't do that. I don't like being a "player" and breaking girls' hearts unlike other guys I know.

I picked up Christine from her dorm and drove over to the movie theater near the campus. Being the gentleman that I am, I let Christine choose the movie, and luckily for me (if you can call that lucky), she chose the same one that Roy and Anne were going to see. I knew I was probably going to fall asleep through it since it was some chick flick/romantic comedy that every girl in school wanted to see, but I was determined to stay awake no matter how much I had to pain I had to cause myself to do so. I bought our tickets and held the door for Christine as we went inside.

We walked into the room where the movie was going to be played and took a couple seats in the back. Since we were a little early, we had a chance to talk again. We weren't the only ones in there though, for out the corner of my eye I saw Anne and Roy sitting together a few rows ahead of us. I admit I was a bit jealous when I saw Roy with his arm around Anne as she snuggled against him, but I couldn't do anything about it. After all, it wasn't like I owned Anne or anything, and it was her choice to move on in her life, a decision that I choose to respect. So in response to that, I put my arm around Christine when the lights went down, and she didn't resist. I felt her moving closer to me, which I didn't mind.

As I expected, the movie was boring, and I had to jerk my head several times against my seat in order to stay awake while Christine was totally focused on the screen. Half way through the movie, my eyes shifted towards Anne. That's when I almost lost it. Roy leaned over to kiss Anne, and she didn't pull away. They were literally making out during the movie. I can't tell you how much strength it took me to not go over there and beat the daylights out of him; it's a good thing too because I honestly believe that I could have done it. I had to excuse myself for a moment to regain my composure as I "needed to go to the bathroom."

I went out into the hall and smacked myself on the forehead. I had no right to be acting like this. First and foremost, I'm with someone else at the moment even if it's not totally official. Second, Anne is a person that I love and adore, and if it means that I must sacrifice my sanity and happiness in order for her to be happy, I'll do it. Will I ever get over her? I don't know, but I feel as if I must if I'm ever going to survive the rest of my time here. After taking a deep breath, I walk back in and force myself to watch the rest of the movie.

I took Christine out for a little walk at the park after everything was over so we could talk and relax for a bit before going back. The moon was shining as we sat down on a bench, and it accented the features on Christine's face. She looked beautiful; it was then that I realized that I could actually have another chance to move on with my life. Christine was a nice girl that I wanted to know better, and she hadn't done anything yet to convince me otherwise. I took her back to her dorm when I realized that it was getting late and kissed her good night. The look on her face reassured me that I would be seeing her again.

* * *

A couple weeks went by, and as expected I saw Christine again. And again. The gossip around campus starting incorporating the two of us along with Anne and Roy. I didn't really mind being talked about seeing that there was nothing to hide, but my ears would always perk up whenever I heard anything involving Anne or her new flame.

"Did you hear about Anne Shirley and Roy Gardner?" asked one girl during my biology class when the professor wasn't looking.

"No!" replied another girl. "What happened?"

"They went to the Coldplay concert last night, and Roy got them both on stage!"

"Really? Oh my gosh! They met the band and went up on stage in front of all of those people?"

"Yeah!"

"Wow! Anne is so lucky! I'd kill to have a guy like that - someone's who's attractive and rich and has _good_ connections."

"Well, I hear ya on that one. People are saying that they're pretty serious right now, and I believe it."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I'm expecting those two to be engaged any minute now."

"Whoa."

And that's when I tuned everything out. Engaged? Anne and Roy had known each other for like what...two weeks? It's way too soon to assume anything like that would happen. But then again...Anne does have a tendency to do the unexpected, and she'll do anything if she puts her mind to it. I forced myself to focus long enough until class was over and went out to meet Christine who was waiting for me by the steps of the building.

"Hey," I said while I kissed her on the cheek.

"Hey," she said. "How'd your class go?"

"Alright." It would have been better if the girls there didn't talk about Anne and Roy.

"That's good. Listen, Gil. I hear homecoming's coming up pretty soon, and I'd love for you to come with me to the dance."

Hmm...that's a first. A girl besides Josie Pye asked me to go to a dance, and I don't even have to stick up for myself. "I'd love to go, Christine."

She smiled. "Great!"

There was something in her eyes then that made me a bit suspicious and weary. Usually her eyes would give off a sweet vibe, but at that moment I saw them turn dark, giving her a mischievous look as if she was up to something. I don't normally look into things like that, but as my mother always says, "The eyes are the window to the soul." With Anne I could always tell what she was thinking or feeling whenever I looked into her eyes, but with Christine I couldn't always tell. I know I haven't known her long enough to make any sort of judgment like that, but I can at least be aware of it, can't I?


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you to all that read and reviewed!

kate cee, I'm glad you like it!  
Anne Shirley Blythe, your wish is my command. ;)

The song mentioned in this chapter is Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters."

- ladybell

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Homecoming finally came after a couple more weeks. I usually like coming to these kinds of events because I could see my friends, but I felt weird this time. For one, I knew Anne and Roy were going to be there, which meant that I would have to bite my tongue to keep myself from saying stupid around Anne or from saying something that I would regret later to Roy. Another thing was that I sensed that Christine was up to something. It wasn't the usual "Oh my gosh, I don't know what to wear!" kind of frenzy that girls go through for dances or special occasions. (I never really understood that in the first place; I like natural girls to be honest.) Well, Christine did go through that, but there was a quiet sneakiness in the way she conducted things with her friends compared to the past that made me suspicious.

After getting in my suit (and being told by some girls that I looked "hot" after passing them on the way to my car), I picked up Christine. I can't deny the fact that she looked beautiful in her pale blue V-neck dress, and I put the corsage that I had for her on her wrist. With a kiss and her arm in the crook of my arm, we made our way to a nice restaurant for dinner.

It turns out that the place where I made reservations was hosting a lot of Redmond people that night, so the wait was a little long. Lucky for us, we were able to make our way through the crowd and got seated. As we waited for the waiter to come by and take our orders, Christine excused herself to the restroom, and I sat there staring at the menu. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a couple being seated next to me. It was none other than Anne and Roy. Roy looked not too bad in his suit, but it wasn't him that I was looking at. Anne looked like she came from a dream in her soft green dress that brought out the rich gray in her eyes and the ruddy tints in her hair. It was piled up in the most elegant manner and had a curl on either side of her head, framing her face. I couldn't breathe for a moment or two but was brought back into reality when Roy noticed me.

"Hey, Blythe!" he called.

I couldn't believe that he actually knew my name after all this time. "Hey!"

"Lookin' sharp, man."

"You, too." Actually, I don't care how you look like since I'm not paying attention to you.

"Where's your date, bro?"

"In the bathroom." I love your date though. "Anne, you're looking very nice to night." Well isn't that the biggest understatement of the year? I could have sworn that I saw her blush when I said that.

"Thank you," she said, looking down.

I didn't have much time to analyze what just happened because Christine returned.

"Your date's looking pretty good," Roy commented.

"Thank you," Christine said, doing a mini pose.

Roy laughed, and I laughed quietly. I know I shouldn't be nit picky about little details like that, but with the way she was acting before, could this be part of her plan? Again, I didn't have enough time to think as the waiter finally appeared to take our orders and quickly returning with them, leaving us to eat in peace.

After paying for the meal, Christine and I left to go back to Redmond and entered the dance hall. It was set in the main room of the planetarium of the school, and I admit that the setup surpassed my expectations. The stars were shining (even if they were projected on the ceiling), the lights were dimmed, flowers were scattered throughout. It created a very intimate atmosphere, and on top of all that everyone looked great.

As I entered the hall with Christine on my arm, everyone turned around. One of Christine's friends rushed up to us.

"Christine!" shouted one girl over the loud music that was playing. "You look great!"

"Thanks, Melanie! You look great, too!" she shouted back.

I noticed her eying me up and down. "So I see you brought a date this evening."

"Uh yeah! Where's yours?"

"He's somewhere. I don't know where he is, and I don't really care. I didn't really want him to begin with; I just wanted someone to pay for my corsage and dinner."

"I totally understand."

Huh?

"We better catch up to other people," Christine said. "We'll see you around!"

"Okay!"

Umm...okay. That was a little weird. Before I could say anything, a mass group of Josie Pye wannabes swarmed over to us, and my eyes widened in surprise at the number of them.

"Hey, Gilbert!" they said sweetly while fluttering their fake eyelashes.

It's times like these that I wish I didn't have "sophisticated good looks." "Umm...hi."

Christine glared at them all. "Back off! He's MINE!" The girls backed off and went away. Christine looked over at another friend of hers and winked.

Is that supposed to mean something? I know those girls were annoying, but was that necessarily the best way to get rid of him. I decided that it was best to keep my mouth shut in order to not spoil the evening.

Moments later, Anne and Roy entered the room. I heard whispers all around me about how "handsome" Roy looked and how gorgeous Anne looked. They were right about Anne, but I'm not so sure about Roy. Christine took a hold of my hand and led us up to them.

"Roy!" she greeted. "Nice to see you again."

"You, too," he said. "It's been, I don't know, twenty minutes?"

She laughed. "Maybe."

I looked over at Anne and smiled. She smiled back, and that ticked Christine. She grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to her as she stuck her nose up at Anne while scowling at her. She then looked over at Roy. "Good luck tonight, Roy. I hope you'll be the Homecoming King."

"Good luck to you too, Christine," Roy said. "I hope you'll be the Homecoming Queen."

And with that, we walked away. And by we, I mean Christine dragging me away with her. I could tell that she did not like the sight of Anne, and I didn't like that. Christine could have at least pretended to be nice to her even if she didn't like her; it's a whole lot nicer than just blowing her off like that. We were beginning to chat with yet another one of her friends when the Dean walked up to the microphone to announce the Homecoming King and Queen.

"Thank you for coming out tonight," he began. "I'm glad we got a big part of the student body to come out and join us this evening, but before I announce this year's Homecoming King and Queen, let me begin by telling you all a story..."

"Boo!" went the crowd.

"I'm kidding!" he laughed. "I know how much you all want to know the results, so may I please have the first envelope?" A member of the student council handed him an envelope. "Thank you. This year's Homecoming King as voted by you, the student body, is..." He opened the seal. "...Roy Gardner!"

Anne beamed with pride as she kissed Roy before he went up to receive his crown.

The Dean received a second envelope. "And this year's Homecoming Queen is..." He broke the seal. "...Christine Stuart!"

She jumped up with glee and hurriedly made her way through the crowd to get her crown, completely leaving me behind and not even stopping to give me a hug or a kiss or any other sign of acknowledgment. A couple of student council members put the crown on her head.

"Congratulations, you two," said the Dean. "As a tradition here and anywhere, the first dance begins with the king and queen." He signaled for the deejay to play the song and walked off to the side.

With Roy dancing with Christine, that left Anne and me alone on the dance floor. I walked closer to her and held out my hand. "Anne, for old time's sake, would you honor me with the first dance?"

To my relief, she took my hand. "I'd love to."

Anne put her hand on my shoulder as I put my arm around her waist. The lyrics of the song sounded so sweet, and even though Anne and I weren't together as a couple, it just felt so right to be dancing with her underneath the stars and looking at her as if she was the only one in the room.

_So close no matter how far  
Couldn't be much more from the heart  
Forever trust in who we are  
And nothing else matters_

_Never opened myself this way  
Life is ours, we live it our way  
All these words I don't just say  
And nothing else matters_

_Trust I seek and I find in you  
Every day for us something new  
Open mind for a different view  
And nothing else matters_

_Never cared for what they do  
Never cared for what they know  
But I know... _

When the song was over, I let go of Anne so she could go back to Roy, and that's when Christine hastily went up to me and said, "We're leaving."

"Huh?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Yeah, we're leaving," She looked over at Anne and said in a nasty tone, "Stay away from him!" She grabbed my hand and started heading for the exit.

Once we got near the door, I put my foot down. "What was that all about?"

"Oh nothing, Gil," Christine said as she tried to move closer us to the door.

I grabbed her arm. "What I saw back there was clearly something. Now tell me why you were acting like that towards Anne."

She paused for a minute. "She doesn't need to be hanging around you."

Whoa, hold it right there. Is Christine actually jealous of Anne? Huh? "What did she do to you to make you act like that?"

"Well, you were _dancing_ with her!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh c'mon, Gil! Don't tell me that you didn't feel anything."

Well, to be honest, she got me there. I did feel something, but I wasn't going to admit that to her. "Christine, I didn't feel anything. Honest." Yeah right. "Anne is just a friend; I've known her for years. And besides, she's with Roy right now, and I'm not the kind of guy who would do such a thing."

I saw her lighten up a bit. "I believe you."

Whew. "So are you okay now?"

"Yeah." I could now breathe a sigh of relief. "But I still don't want her hanging out with you."

She's never going to get over this, is she? I guess it's my turn to step up and be a man then if she's going to act like a controlling and possessive girlfriend. "If that's the case, then I don't want you hanging around Roy Gardner."

With the shocked look on her face, I knew I hit the jackpot with the name. "But Gil!"

Since I had such perfect timing whenever I wanted to say something, the swarm of Josie Pye wannabes just had to pass us at that exact moment, and I heard them saying, "Oh my gosh, I feel so bad for Gilbert! That Christine Stuart is just using him to get to Roy Gardner. What a conceited girl!"

A ha! So that's the reason why she had been acting so strange lately. She was using tonight to get to him. Go figure. And with that, not only was she trying to hurt me but she was trying to hurt Anne as well! Anyone that hurts Anne has to deal with me, and even if that means that I have to give one of my friends a black eye for doing so, I'll gladly suffer the consequences for it.

Christine quickly interjected. "Gil, that's not true! They're making stuff up so you can leave me for them!"

"That may be true, but I don't want to be around anyone that's going to act one way with me for a couple weeks and another way another couple weeks. It's just not worth it."

"Don't you love me?"

Love? _Love?_ We've never even talked about love. Christine is - was rather - a nice girl, but love...I'm not so sure about that. And even if she didn't do a 180 degree turn before Homecoming, then I don't think that I actually could fall in love with her. Now I know why girls spazz out when it comes to the subject of love and guys. I can't fool myself, but I could at least try to be honest with her without sounding like a total jerk.

"No," I finally said.

"What?" she shouted. "You don't love me?"

Great. Now she's making a scene, and people are starting to look. I wonder if that's part of her plot to get Gardner. "Christine, you're a nice girl, but I don't love you." For one, we've only been dating for like a month, and two, she's not Anne.

"W-Why?" she cried. Her tears made mascara run down her face.

"We're rushing into things too quickly. For your sake and mine, I think we should see other people." There, I said it.

"Okay."

Okay? She just agreed to it just like that? Hmm...now I'm really suspicious, but since tonight actually was Homecoming, I can't just let her spend of the rest of the night crying in the middle of the planetarium. "Let me take you home, Christine."

"That's alright," she said. "I'll get a ride from one of my friends."

"Okay. It's been nice knowing you."

"You, too."

After taking one last look at her, I turned around and went to my car to go back to the dorm. With everything that went on, I could use a good night's sleep.

* * *

The major news story that broke out on campus the next day was of "the scene" that happened with me and Christine. I know because it was the only thing people were talking about. Lots of people came up to me saying, "Oh, Gilbert. I'm so sorry for what happened." I did feel kind of bad for just breaking up with her like that on Homecoming night, but in the long run I think it was for the best. More gossip spread about Christine's secret plot to steal Roy away from Anne, and that hurt even more than the news of the break up. Anne was very sensitive when it came to her personal life, and with the news spreading as fast as it was, I didn't know how she would handle it.

I went into the library to get some studying done and saw Anne sitting at a table by herself near the back. It was obvious that she had been crying earlier and was visibly upset. I went up to her to see how she was doing.

"Hey," I said.

Anne looked up from her book. "Hey."

"Mind if I sit here?"

"Sure."

I put my book down and sat next to her. "So how are you doing?"

"Alright, I guess."

I looked into her eyes. "Anne, don't lie to me. I know you're not alright."

She shook her head. "Yeah." She wiped a tear with the back of her hand. "I just don't get it, Gil. Why do people act so cruel? Was it something I did? Was it something I said?"

"No, Anne." I couldn't stand the sight of her like that. I longed to take her in my arms and hold her and make the world go away, but I knew I couldn't do that. Instead, all I could do was be a good friend and listen.

"I have no idea what I got myself into," she said.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"I don't know. It's just that Roy's a nice guy, but I don't know if he's the type to just leave a girl hanging if you know what I mean."

If Gardner hurts her, then he's going to have to deal with me. And trust me, I _won't_ be Mr. Nice Guy.

Anne continued. "Then again, I'm probably worrying too much. My imagination always seems to get the best of me."

I took this as an opportunity to lighten the mood. "So was slamming your binder over my head in school part of your imagination?"

She laughed after she lightly punched my arm. "Maybe."

I laughed, too. I was happy that I could make her laugh again even if I was on the receiving end of her punch. "So are you better now, Carrots?"

"Yeah. I just don't know how long it'll last though."

"If you need anything, I'm always here."

"Thanks, Gil." She gave me a hug. "Well, I better go now. I have to finish up some stuff. I'll see you later!"

When she left, I turned my focus to my book, but I was distracted again because Roy had entered the library and walked toward me.

"Have you seen Anne?" asked Roy.

"Yeah," I replied. "You just missed her."

"Oh." I could tell that he was disappointed. "So I'm guessing that she heard all the rumors and is avoiding me."

"Not exactly."

"Huh?"

"She's a little upset, but she's not intentionally trying to avoid you I don't think."

"Shh!" went one of the librarians in a stern voice as she passed by.

Roy took a seat at my table. "How do you know that?" he tried to whisper.

"She told me," I whispered back so the librarian wouldn't come back over here.

He raised an eyebrow. "How are you so close to her?"

"We've been friends for years, and we can tell each other almost anything." He sat back in his chair. "Look, Roy. I know what people are saying about you, me, Christine, and Anne, and it's not fair for either one of us. If what they say about Christine and you is true, then we're gonna have some problems here." He gave me a blank stare, so I went on. "You seem like a nice guy, but if you hurt Anne in any way, then I'm afraid you'll have to mess with me."

"I would never do that!" he exclaimed.

The librarian passed by us again and glared at both of us. I didn't care.

"Never," reiterated Roy.

"Good," I said. "I'm just making sure."

"I never realized how close you two really were to each other."

"Well, she means a lot to me." That's one way to sort of admit your feelings.

"I can see that you're kind of like a big brother to her."

"Big brother"? Hmm...I guess you could say that, but if Anne really was my sister, then we'd have some big problems here. So I'm not even going to go there.

"Yeah," I managed to say. I looked at my watch and realized that I had to go. "I gotta run. I'll see you later."

"Let me know if you run into Anne again, okay?"

"Okay."

I picked up my book and went out of the library. So in this time that I was supposed to be studying, I got nothing done. That's the second time I got nothing done in the library, and I might want to keep my concentration from now on. Otherwise I'll never get anything done, and I might flunk out.

As I was walking down the steps, one of Christine's friends passed by me and dropped a note at my feet. I bent down to get it to give it back to her, but she was gone when I got up. Since I had nothing else to do, I opened it and read it. Inside was a message from Christine.

_Dear Gil,_

_I'm so sorry for last night. I feel absolutely horrible about everything, and I want to make it up to you. I know you might not wanna talk to me after the chaos that has erupted from this, and I understand that. But I want you to come back to me. I want you to give me another chance; let me show you that I actually am worthy. Please? I love you._

_- Christine _

I crumbled up the note and threw it in a trash can as I went back to the dorm.


	4. Chapter 4

Again, thank you to all who have been reading this! However, I could use a few more reviews. *hint hint* :P

Veronica, I am actually a huge Metallica fan, and "Nothing Else Matters" was the first song of theirs that I learned how to play on guitar. That may come in later on in the story somehow. ;) I'm glad that you're enjoying it!

- ladybell

* * *

**Chapter 4**

I actually studied after going back to the dorm, and after working hard for a few hours, I decided to reward myself to dinner. I went to one of the popular restaurants on campus and ate there. When I was finished, I walked outside and witnessed the unthinkable happen. Christine was kissing Roy with Anne nowhere to be seen. I couldn't believe it. Not only had the rumors turned out to be true, but Roy had lied to me in the library. He would never hurt Anne? Oh please. I just saw it with my own two eyes. How would Anne react to this? She was already upset about the rumors, but this could put her over the edge.

Should I tell her? I know I have no right in intruding on her personal life, but her boyfriend was kissing another girl. I'm not just gonna sit back and let Anne suffer like that. And as much as it hurts to know the truth, it hurts even more not knowing, so I decided to tell her.

As soon as I started to walk away, Christine pulled back from the kiss and noticed me. She excused herself from Roy and ran after me.

"Gil, wait! It's not what it looks like!" she shouted.

"Right..." I said.

"Please! Let me explain –"

"You don't need to explain, Christine. I know everything I need to know."

I left her there, speechless. I didn't care. So the note that was dropped earlier turned out to be as phony as I thought it was, and the fact that she didn't even deliver it herself made me skeptical to begin with. I now had my closure, and maybe - just maybe - I could move on. But not before I break the news to Anne.

I took a seat at a bench near the dorm and took out my cell phone. I knew that if I met Anne personally before Roy got back that it'd look suspicious, and I didn't need any bad publicity around here. I dialed her cell phone number and waited for her to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Anne, it's Gil. I need to talk to you," I said. "It's very important."

"Okay."

"You need to hear me out on this one, and I think it's best if you have a seat while I'm telling you this."

"What is it, Gil?" she asked.

I took a deep breath. "As I was leaving the main restaurant on campus after dinner tonight, I saw Roy with Christine." I heard her swallow hard. "They were kissing." Her breathing quickened, and I worried as she said nothing for a minute or so. "Anne, say something!"

"Are you lying to me?" she managed to ask.

"Would I lie to you?"

"Well, no but - "

"Have I ever lied to you in the past?"

"No."

"Then why would I lie to you now?"

She sighed. "You have a point."

I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was about to lose it. "Anne, I'm sorry."

"I just can't believe that he had the nerve to do such a thing. And after everything he said to me...argh!"

"What'd he say?"

"He loved me."

Now it was my turn to be speechless. Why that little son of a gun had the guts to come straight out and tell Anne that he loved her and turn around to stab her in the back! So this marks the end of Mr. Nice Guy.

"Gil, are you still there?" Anne asked.

"Yeah," I replied, coming back from my little trance. "Sorry about that."

"It's alright." I heard her blowing her nose into a tissue. "Thanks for letting me know. You're a good friend."

Friend. I don't know if I'll ever fully get used to that word with her. "Don't mention it. That's what friends are for, eh?"

"Yeah. Good night, Gil."

"Good night, Anne."

And she hung up. I decided to go to bed to prepare myself for the long day ahead of me. After all, I did have to face Roy first thing in class.

* * *

As soon as I walked into class the next day, Roy was already in there waiting for me.

"Blythe, I need to talk to you," he said in a serious tone of voice as he walked up to my seat.

Okay. Let the games begin. "Yeah?" I asked as if I knew nothing.

"What did you tell Anne?" he demanded. "What did you tell her to cause her to break up with me?"

"The truth."

"Huh?"

"I saw you with Christine last night and interacting in a way friends wouldn't normally act, if you know what I mean, and I wasn't about to let my best friend suffer because of it."

"Well, you know what, Blythe?"

"What?"

"You make me sick."

Ha! I make _him_ sick? Wow. He's the one hurting Anne, not me. What'd I do to him? Nothing. And the guy already hates me. Beautiful. I'm glad to see that things are even between us.

"Huh?"

"When I said that you'd have to mess with me if you messed with Anne, I meant it."

"I see how it is. You love her. You love her, and you wanna keep her away from me!"

So Roy Gardner actually has a brain after all! I never thought I'd live to see the day. "Maybe. Do I care for her? Yes. Do I want to keep her away from you? Hell yeah!"

"Ooh. So is the highly intellectual Gilbert Blythe challenging me?" he laughed. "Huh? What?"

I just glared at him. "Yes. I could take you."

"You wanna go?"

"Bring it!"

That's when I lost it. I truly let my emotions get the best of me and simply went after Roy. I'm not proud of what I did because I usually don't lose my temper like that, but I couldn't help myself. As I punched him left and right, I thought about Anne. What would she think about all this? Of course, she'd probably roll her eyes and think that we were both foolish to be fighting over her. Then it hit me: I'm still in love with her. No matter how hard I try to get over her, I'm still in love with her. I'm a goner. Seeing myself punch the daylights out of Gardner made me realize how much I would go to do things for her; I'd willingly take a bullet for her. And it's all for love. Yeah, I'm a goner, and I don't care. I gave Roy one last punch, and I sat back down. He fell back on the floor and held his cheek. He was in awe as if he couldn't believe that I had to guts to go after him like that and that I had actually won. Luckily for us, the professor was running late, so neither of us could get in trouble for the little brawl. Roy went back to his seat, and that's when the professor finally arrived to start class.

* * *

After my classes for the day were through, I went over to the same restaurant that I went to the night before. There I met Anne who was sitting at a booth all by herself.

"Mind if I sit with you?" I asked.

"Sure," she said.

I took the empty seat, and Anne gasped at my hand. "Oh my gosh! What happened?"

I looked down and didn't realize that I had a pretty nasty looking cut on my right hand from the fight this morning. I guess I was too focused on not getting in trouble to notice, but I didn't feel anything wrong with me. And it didn't bleed too badly since the blood clotted on its own. I didn't want Anne to know about what happened between me and Roy, so I simply replied with, "It's nothing."

Anne didn't think so though. She took some napkins and poured some of her water on it. "Give me your hand," she said. I obeyed, and she took my right hand as she took her napkins and gently cleaned up my cut. I'm not ashamed to admit this, but I love it when she takes care of me. It's just part of her nature. Anne took out a band-aid from her purse and put it over the cut.

"There, that should be better now," she said.

"Thanks, Anne," I said.

"Well, you should have taken care of that earlier. It could be infected by now."

"I know; I know."

"You ought to know since you're going to be a doctor, Gil," she teased.

"Heh. I was just testing you," I teased back.

"Sure you were."

We then both ordered our meals and talked some more while we waited for them.

"I've been thinking, Gil," Anne stated.

"What?" I asked.

"Men are pigs." I raised my eyebrow in skepticism. She went on. "That's why I think I'm gonna lay off them for awhile."

What? Is this the same girl who kept on rattling about her ideal man for so long? So does that mean that I don't have a chance anymore even if my chances before were slim to none? "What?"

"Yeah. They're mean, they're greedy, and they're stupid."

"Whoa. Timeout there, Anne. Not all of us are like that."

"Then how come all the good ones are taken?"

There's a good one sitting right here, Anne, and you don't even know it. I simply replied with, "I don't know. Maybe you haven't found him yet."

After a few minutes, the atmosphere of the place got darker when Roy walked in. He now had two black eyes and a swollen lip, all courtesy of me, and he was walking right past us. He showed no emotion when he looked at Anne but was absolutely furious at me. His eyes were like the flames of Hell, and it was as if he wanted to kill me. Anne looked at Roy and me and put her hand over her mouth.

"You fought him, didn't you?" she blurted out.

I didn't want her to know, but at the same time I didn't want to lie to her either. I looked into her eyes, and she got her answer.

"I can't believe you would do such a thing," she said sadly.

I looked away. I knew her reaction would be like this. As much as I loved beating Roy (both physically and intellectually speaking), I knew what I did was wrong. Anne was ashamed, and she didn't even talk to me during the rest of the meal. So this is my current situation: Roy wants to kill me, Christine wants me back but only to get to Roy, and Anne won't even speak to me. Well, aren't I a lucky guy then, eh?


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you for all the feedback! It means a lot to me.

Veronica, you're very welcome for the shout out. I wasn't a huge Roy fan while reading the books, so I couldn't help it having Gil punch him. :P  
CourtneyRBowman, was that a good scream?  
Pineappl92, thank you for your input. This story was written many years ago, and my writing style has changed a lot since then. However, this is still one of my favorites, so I decided not to change anything. As for the "popular" kids, some of them really are that shallow and mean, and that's unfortunate.

Anyway, here's the next update!

-ladybell

* * *

**Chapter 5**

A few weeks passed, and I still didn't hear from Anne. Her stubbornness was at it again. Does that mean that I have to wait another five years until I can get another word in? God, I hope not. I got word from her roommate Phil Gordon that she recently got a job at the campus book store. Phil advised me to go in there and "knock some sense" into Anne, and after a bit of thought I did it.

I had nothing better to do on Saturday afternoon, so I decided to go to the book store and hopefully find Anne. I looked in the aisles and found her in the fiction section with a box of books. She was having trouble reaching up for a book, and since she didn't really have the heart to kick out the girl that was sitting on the stool reading _Pride and Prejudice_, the only way she could reach it was by standing on her tip toes. I went up to her.

"Need a hand?" I asked.

Anne turned around and looked at me. "No, I think I've got it."

At least she's talking to me now. Sort of. "Alright then."

I watched as she struggled to reach for that same book near the top shelf, and when I couldn't stand it any longer, I reached up and handed the book to her. She looked embarrassed.

"Umm...thanks," she managed to say, trying to hide her red cheeks. She then reached down to the box on the ground and picked up more books. I could tell that she was ignoring me again, so I decided to speak up.

"Anne, listen. I'm sorry for fighting Roy, okay? I know what I did was wrong, but I couldn't stand what he did to you."

She looked me in the eye, and it looked as if she was about to cry. "Why do you care so much?"

Because I love you, that's why. "I don't want you to get hurt. No one hurts my friends, especially you."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you."

"And why am I so special?"

Do I really need to explain it to her? I don't want to scare her off (again) just yet because we've just not re-established our speaking terms, so I'll restrain myself from saying what I really feel for her. "Do you know anyone else that has the guts to whack me over the head and get away with it?"

"No."

I laughed. "See? You're special, Carrots."

"More like special ed."

"Oh hush."

She laughed. "I really should be going back to work since I am getting paid, Gil, but before I do I have something to show you." I followed her as she led me to the front desk. She handed me a professional edition of a doctor's handbook. "I figured this might help you out a bit since you're going into the field. I was going to give it to you as a peace offering, but I guess I'll just give it to you now." I reached into my back pocket to get my wallet since I wasn't going to let her spend her hard earned money on me, but she stopped me. "No, Gil. No. I want you to have it." I tried to offer some money to her again, but she refused. "Please, Gil. It's my gift to you. You've done so much for me, and I feel as if I've done nothing for you. Let me return the favor." The look in her eyes forced me to cave in to her wishes.

"Okay then. Thanks, Anne."

"No problem."

"Get back to work now, and don't slack off, you hear?"

She laughed. "I'm on it, sir."

"Good."

She went back to work, and I happily went back to the dorm.

* * *

A couple months flew by, and it was getting close to finals week. That meant that Anne and I were busy studying our heads off for our little friendly competition. Whoever got the better grades would get to choose what they wanted to do while the loser would pay all the costs. I knew Anne would take the challenge seriously just as she had back in the day when we first went to school, and although I would never fully admit it to her, deep down I wish she would win. But for her sake and mine, we had to have a little fun with it first. I wasn't going to let her win that easily. I am competitive in my own right when I feel like it.

The time finally came. One by one we each took our finals, and surprisingly enough, we tied on everything. Every numerical grade on our finals and semester grades matched up even though our classes weren't exactly the same, and I'm proud to say that we both got A+'s. Hmm...I guess we really do have some sort of kindred spirit connection after all.

"What are we gonna do now?" asked Anne after we compared our grades after classes were over.

"Have fun just for the heck of it?" I asked.

"How?"

I thought about it, and it dawned on me. "Nothing's been settled yet officially, Anne."

"Huh?"

"We need to figure out who's the stronger one between us."

"And just how are we gonna do that, Gil?"

I only needed one word, and I knew she would agree with me the minute I said it. "Bowling."

Anne's face transformed. There was a glimmer in her eyes, telling me she was up to it. "Deal."

We put on our coats and got in my car to go to the nearest bowling alley. While the weather outside was freezing, our little round of bowling would surely make up for it. Once we arrived inside, we got shoes and settled in a lane.

"Ladies first," I said to Anne in determining our start order.

"Alright then," she said, taking a ball in her hands.

When I saw that she was about to bowl, I took an opportunity to tease her. "Are you sure you don't want gutter guards, Anne?"

She turned around and stuck her nose up in the air. "I'm just fine, Gil. Thank you." She turned around again and bowled the ball down the lane. Fortunately for me, it went in the gutter. She went again, but this time the ball hit a few pins. "Beat that!"

"Fine, I will," I stated, picking up a ball of my own. I was in the middle of releasing the ball down the lane when she yelled "Brick!", causing me to drop the ball down the gutter. I turned to look at her, and she looked as if nothing happened.

"Is that your way of cheating, Miss Shirley?" I asked with mock formality.

"Maybe," she replied. "If I'm in the mood, Mr. Blythe."

I snickered and went up again. This time I got half the pins to go down. "Beat that."

"Okay."

Instead of bowling regularly, Anne caught me off guard by setting the ball down on the floor. She then kicked the ball, and I watched as it slowly went down the lane and hit all ten pins.

"What the heck?" I asked in awe as Anne did a little victory dance.

She laughed. "Admit it, Gil. That was awesome."

I couldn't deny it. "Yeah, I guess so." I watched her beam with pride. "So is that how we're gonna play now?"

"Maybe."

"Alright."

I decided to come up with my own style. I put the ball between my legs and rolled it down Granny style. To Anne's dismay, it went down as a strike.

"No fair!" she exclaimed.

"Two can play this game," I said with a smirk on my face.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah."

So one by one we each came up with more outrageous stunts to beat each other. Not only did the number of pins count, but style counted as well. People around us were giving us weird looks, but we didn't care. I even caught Anne off guard by bowling another ball the same time she was up, which marked the beginning of creative tag team bowling. The announcer over the intercom kept on saying, "Lane 35, one ball at a time!" We didn't listen. Even other lanes started copying us, and by then, the employees at the alley couldn't do anything to stop the madness.

"I guess we started a trend, Anne-girl," I commented.

"We sure did," she said. "Want something to eat?"

"Sure."

We ordered food, and it was delivered to us at our lane. We ate and bowled some more until we grew tired. I finally decided that it was time to go. We returned the shoes and went outside to discover that it had snowed the entire time we were in there.

"Gil, how long were we in there?" asked Anne.

I looked down at my watch. "Whoa. Five hours."

"Five hours? No wonder there's a bunch of snow out here!"

I figured that this would be the perfect time to have a bit more fun somewhere else. "Wanna go to the park?"

"Yes!"

I knew she would agree to it. After all, who wouldn't want to go to the park after snow has fallen to have a snowball fight or make snowmen or snow angels? We got in my car again and went to the park on campus. Luckily for us, it seemed as if everyone had already went home for the holidays, giving us the park to ourselves. As soon as I parked the car, Anne ran out like a child on Christmas morning.

"Whee!" she exclaimed.

I locked the car and followed her. "Wait up!"

It was dark outside, and the park lights were illuminated, creating a gorgeous effect against the snow. Since Anne wouldn't listen to me in my pleas to slow down, I threw a snowball at her that hit her in the head. That got her attention.

"Are you messing up my hair?" she demanded in mock outrage.

"Yes," I admitted.

"Why you little –"

She made a few snowballs of her own and threw them at my face.

"Hey!" I yelled.

Anne laughed. "What? You can't handle a few snowballs, Gil?" She stuck her tongue out at me.

"That's it." I ran towards her to tackle her.

"Oh no, you're not!" She ran away from me.

I chased her around the park. I was just about to get her when she lost her footing and slipped. I caught her hand, but she took me down with her. We fell to the ground.

"Anne, are you alright?" I asked, concerned.

I could tell by her laughter that she was okay. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"Whew."

After all that running, I could sure use a break. Bowling was a lot of fun, but I think this topped it. It was a beautiful winter night out, and I had Anne next to me gazing up at the stars with her head touching mine. I closed my eyes and savored the brief moment.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" asked Anne, referring to the stars.

I opened my eyes and looked. "It is."

I turned to look at her. Her red hair was accented by the white snow, and her cheeks were rosy from the cold. Man, she looked beautiful. I remember the green dress she wore at Homecoming that took my breath away, but seeing her lying in the snow like that made me realize how her natural beauty won me over in the first place. This was the woman that I loved, and I couldn't have asked for a more picturesque setting. Anne turned her head to face me and smiled. I couldn't help myself; all the self-control I had faded away. I slowly leaned in and kissed her. To my surprise, she didn't resist. After all this time, I was finally able to taste the sweet promise of her kiss. When I pulled away, I noticed that her cheeks got redder. Either she liked the kiss or she was really cold. I'm hoping that she liked it.

Since I didn't want to push things too fast, I decided that I needed to take her back to her dorm. I reluctantly got up and helped Anne up to her feet. We walked silently until we reached her dorm.

"Are you going home tomorrow?" she finally asked.

"Yeah. You?" I asked.

"Yeah. I can't wait."

"Me neither." As much as I hated saying good night to her, I knew I had to. "Good night, Anne," I said as I gently caressed her cheek. "Thank you for tonight."

She blushed. "Good night, Gil." She gave me one last look and went in.

So I finally had one of my unfilled dreams come true: I kissed Anne without her pushing me away. It wasn't a Hollywood, dramatic kiss that they have in the movies, but it was something special. I wonder if this little glimmer of hope will actually lead to something greater.


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you for the reviews!

CourtneyRBowman, I'm glad you like it! I like good screams. :P  
Anne Shirley Blythe (JoJo), your wish is my command. ;)

The song mentioned in this chapter is Billy Joel's "She's Got a Way."

- ladybell

* * *

**Chapter 6**

I now have a reason to smile. Well, three reasons actually: I got a kiss that was long overdue from the girl who held my heart, I'm going home for the holidays, and I get to spend time with Anne without any distractions (I hope). I called her in the morning to see if she wanted to go home the same time as me so we could hang out a little more, but she told me to go ahead without her since she needed to straighten things out at work before she left. So I did. I knew her well enough to know by now to do as she said before I suffered the consequences.

As I drove back home, I took in the sights and sounds around me and pictured what it was like to be home. To be perfectly honest, I was homesick. I missed Mom's home cooking, watching hockey with Dad, walking in the country side, driving fast when no one's looking (I do have a bad side, you know), Anne.

Anne...what was I going to do about her? Would she react to me in the same way when she sees me? She sounded fine when I talked to her in the morning, but was it just a bluff? As wonderful as it was, did I ruin all of my chances with that kiss? Maybe I'm just freaking out and over reacting and imagining the worst case scenario.

In order to get my mind off of things before I totally lost my concentration and run off the road, I turned on the radio. Maybe music would clear my mind, but the song that was playing got me thinking even more. It was a simple piano melody that got to me, and the singer really described how Anne much meant to me without even knowing it.

_She's got a way about her  
I don't know what it is  
But I know that I can't live without her_

_She's got a way of pleasin'  
I don't know what it is  
But there doesn't have to be a reason  
Anyway_

_She's got a smile that heals me  
I don't know why it is  
But I have to laugh when she reveals me_

_She's got a way of talkin'  
I don't know what it is  
But it lifts me up when we are walkin'  
Anywhere_

_She comes to me when I'm feelin' down  
Inspires me without a sound  
She touches me and I get turned around_

_She's got a way of showin'  
How I make her feel  
And I find the strength to keep on goin'_

_She's got a light around her  
And everywhere she goes  
A million dreams of love surround her  
Everywhere_

_She comes to me when I'm feelin' down  
Inspires me without a sound  
She touches me and I get turned around_

_She's got a smile that heals me  
I don't know why it is  
But I have to laugh when she reveals me_

_She's got a way about her  
I don't know what it is  
But I know that I can't live without her  
Anyway _

I turned off the radio as I got closer to home. For one, that song had me on the verge of tears, which was rare for me, and two, Mom would worry (as always) if she saw me teary eyed. When I pulled up on to the driveway, Mom ran outside to greet me. I could tell by her bear hug that she was happy to see me. Dad went outside to see why Mom ran out the door so fast and saw us. He patted me on the back after helping me get my suitcases out of the trunk of my car and said, "Welcome home, son." Boy, am I glad to be home.

* * *

When I got inside, I immediately ran upstairs and headed for my room. I then preceded to dive on my bed as I've always done since I was a kid. I think my landing caused a huge racket since Mom came up to see what all the noise was.

"Having fun there, Gil?" she asked, trying to hold back her laughter as she saw me laid out on my bed.

"A little bit," I responded.

"I'm so glad you're home!" She came in and kissed me on the forehead. "Dinner will be ready in a bit. Just relax."

"Okay, Mom."

She went downstairs to finish cooking. I took this opportunity to call Anne to see if she made it back yet.

"Hello?"

"Anne, it's Gil,"I said.

"Hey," she said weakly.

"You sound tired."

"I am tired."

I resumed worrying about her again. "Did you get things straightened out at work?"

"Yeah. My boss was being a little mean about my time off of work, lecturing me about how he needed people to work. He's the one to speak! He took off so much for vacation that he shouldn't even be talking. I don't know, Gil. As nice as it is to have some extra money, I don't know if I wanna work for some hypocrite."

So that's what bothered her. "I'm behind you one hundred percent, Anne. Do what you think is best."

"Thanks. At least someone's behind me."

I didn't like the tone in her voice when she said that. "What do you mean?"

"Oh never mind, Gil."

"Anne, it's okay. You can tell me."

"Well, now's not the time. I have to go anyway. Marilla needs me to help cook dinner. I'll see you later. Bye."

After she hung up, I had a bad feeling in my gut. I know she's hiding something from me, but I don't know what. I wonder if Gardner has anything to do with it. If he's part of it, then I have a feeling things are going to be much worse between us, me and Roy that is.

"Gil, dinner's ready!" shouted Mom from downstairs.

I quickly washed up and went to the dining room. I offered to help set up the table, but Mom insisted that I just have a seat. I guess she was still overjoyed from me coming back home that she mind doing all the work herself. She joined me and Dad at the table.

"So, Gil, what have you been doing with yourself at school?" asked Mom as she passed me the bread basket.

"Studying," I replied. I was not ready to explain the whole Christine, Roy, and Anne ordeal to anyone, including my parents, just yet.

"Come on, son. There's gotta be more to college life than studying," commented Dad while trying to get me to loosen up.

"Alright then," I admitted. "I have been doing more than studying."

"Like what?" asked Mom.

"Meeting girls, Gil?" joked Dad.

"Maybe," I said.

"Why didn't you bring one back with you? I would have loved to meet one," said Mom.

Oh boy. "'Cause it's not like that, Mom." She raised an eyebrow up at me. "Really, it isn't." I took in a bite of food and swallowed.

"But did you actually meet one?"

"I did, but -"

"What's she like?" blurted Mom.

"It's a long story, but things didn't really work out between us." Please stop the questioning before I go insane!

"Oh."

There was little conversation during the rest of dinner. I assume it's because Dad suspected that I wasn't feeling comfortable and signaled for Mom to stop. I put my plate in the sink and decided to go out for a little walk to clear my mind.

* * *

As I went near the "haunted wood", I saw Anne sitting by herself, lost in thought. I could tell by the expression on her face that happy thoughts weren't going through her head, so I sat down next to her, hoping that she would spill what was going on in her mind.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," she murmured back.

I took a look over at her, and I honestly thought that she was going to cry. I always hated it when she cried, and I wanted to get to the bottom of what was going on.

"Anne, please tell me what's going on," I pleaded. "I can't stand it when you're like this." She remained silent, so I had a feeling I would have to question her in order to get something out of her. "Is it about work?" She didn't answer. "Is it school?" She still didn't answer, so I had to ask the dreaded question. "Is it Roy?"

She nodded, and slowly tears started running down her face. I put my arm around her, and she turned to put her head on my shoulder. I felt her hot tears touching my neck and wanted nothing more than to make them go away and force Roy to pay for whatever he did to her. I put both of my arms around her and listened as she finally told me what happened.

"After I straightened things out at work, I ran into Roy and Christine outside on the way to my car. I could tell from the glare from the ring on Christine's left hand that they were engaged. It seemed as if Christine was rubbing the fact in my face, acting as if she was the only one in the world that was engaged. She seemed quite happy to have broken up me and Roy as she gave me an evil stare. I just don't get it, Gil. Roy was so sweet to me when we first started going out, but then he changed. He too gave me an evil look as I passed by. So much for his claims that he loved me. He then went on to say some stuff that I just can't bear to repeat since it hurt so much."

That was enough for me to hear. "Anne, what's in the past is in the past. You can't change it, but you can move on from it."

"I just can't stand it because he not only said bad stuff about me, but it was about you, too."

Wow. Gardner has to have some serious guts to think that he can get away with that sort of thing. "Oh really?"

"I guess there's still bad blood after the fight you two had."

I sighed. "Yeah."

"Gil, if I could beat up Roy, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

She startled me there. That wasn't like the Anne-girl I knew. "Anne, that's not the best thing in the world to do. I know because I've done it."

"I know, but you just don't say that kind of thing about me or my friends, especially you."

Me? Is she implying the fact that she has feelings for me? Am I looking into this too deeply?

"Thanks," I managed to say.

"No, Gil. Thank you," she said.

"For what?"

"For being there for me whenever I need someone to lean on."

"You're welcome, Carrots."

She looked up at me. "Don't get me started," she laughed.

"I might if I feel like it," I joked.

Anne playfully slapped me across the arm, and I laughed. I noticed that it was getting late and both my parents and Marilla would be worried about us. I reluctantly let Anne go and walked her back home. When I let her off at the gate, she kissed me on the cheek and said, "Thanks again, Gil. I'm so glad you're not like the other guys."

"Huh?" I asked.

"You're sweet, funny, and smart. Why can't they all be like you?"

Because then I'd have some serious competition in getting you, and it's hard enough as it is. "I don't know, Anne-girl. Maybe it's because I'm a stud." I raised the collar of my shirt underneath my jacket, causing her to laugh.

"Good night, Gil."

"Good night, Anne."

I walked back home tired and happy since I got Anne to smile for a bit. I started thinking about the list of people that I had to get Christmas gifts for, and I would have to start on it very soon. I knew I had to get a very special gift for Anne. I wanted to give her a present that she would never forget. The idea finally came to me as soon as I walked through the door when I got home.

I looked at Dad's guitar that was randomly sitting in the living room. Since Dad worked so much, he rarely had time to play it anymore. I remember him playing some songs when I was little, and I would randomly make up lyrics. I walked over to the guitar and plucked some strings. I don't know if it was in tune or not, but after playing around with the open strings, I realized that I had just played the opening to "Nothing Else Matters," the song that Anne and I danced to at Homecoming. Then it hit me. If the beginning of that simple yet beautiful song was composed of only open strings, then the rest of it couldn't be that bad since it was slow. I decided that my gift to Anne would be me playing that song to her, but then I remembered that I couldn't play and that I couldn't sing. I think Dad sensed my distress because he went over to me.

"You want to learn how to play, Gil?" he asked me.

"Yeah," I said. "I'd love to play something."

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything that you could possibly teach me in a short amount of time."

I think he knew I was up to something when I said that because he then asked, "Are you trying to impress someone?"

"No," I lied.

He laughed. "It's okay, son. Anne will love whatever you play for her."

"How'd you know?"

He patted me on the back. "Gil, everyone in this town knew you two would be together since the day she first came here. Even though she doesn't know it yet, you'll get her."

"How are you so sure about that, Dad, after all you and Marilla went through?"

He sighed. "I just know. Now have a seat, and let me show you a few things."

For the next hour Dad and I went through some basic technique like the names of the strings, basic chords, and how to read music. He was shocked as how fast I was picking up on stuff, and to be honest I was surprising myself. Dad gave me the book that his father gave him when he first started playing, and that helped a lot. He then offered to give me his guitar, but I refused to take it. I couldn't let him just give it up like that since I knew it meant a lot to him. After a few minutes of us debating about it, Dad finally decided that he would get me an instrument of my own as part of my Christmas gift, and he would get it as soon as possible so I could practice.


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you for the input!

pineappl92, I decided to keep the story line of the failed relationship between Gil's dad and Marilla from the books in here. It will come up again later on in the story. I know I used a lot of lyric space in the last chapter, but I wanted to share the song just in case some people didn't know of it before. And as for the bowling ball that Anne kicked down the lane, I usually imagine her using an 8 pound ball. Maybe that's because my ridiculously small hands can only handle an 8 pound ball. :P  
Veronica, I'm glad you like it. :) The bowling and snow scenes were really fun to write.  
JoJo, you're not demanding at all. :P I think every girl wants to have a guy like Gilbert in her life as either a boyfriend/spouse or a best friend. At least I know I do. :P

Here's the next installment. If I ended this chapter the way I wanted to for flow reasons, then the chapter would have been way too short. Therefore, I decided to introduce what I consider to be the first section of the next chapter in here, and let's just say things are about to get interesting.

- ladybell

* * *

**Chapter 7**

The next day Dad went out and got me my guitar. It was a beautiful looking instrument, and I couldn't wait to start playing on it. I even printed off the tabs for "Nothing Else Matters" online, except it turned out to be a lot harder than it looked. For one, I had to move my fingers in time, and they refused to follow me when I wanted to. Two, I couldn't make the chords in the chorus go fast enough without hesitating on where to go next. Three, there was a small guitar solo, and I couldn't bend the notes that far up without fear of having the strings pop out. And finally, I had to actually sing the song and memorize the whole thing. Now there's a challenge for you. And they say med school's hard? Ha! This definitely beats it. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, but then again, it's not about me. It's all for Anne, and if I have to go through blood, sweat, and tears to get this done, then by gosh I'll do it. After a couple of weeks, I finally had most of the song down, not enough time to actually perfect anything but just enough so I could get through everything without sounding like I didn't know what I was doing.

Christmas had arrived, and everything was perfect. To my delight, it was a white Christmas; everything was blanketed in snow, creating an absolutely gorgeous picture. I went to service in the afternoon with my parents, hoping to see Anne. I looked over at the Cuthbert pew and noticed that Anne wasn't there. Was something wrong? Was she okay? Something had to be terribly wrong in order for her not to show up like that. My mind couldn't think straight for the rest of the service, so when it ended, I immediately went up to Marilla.

"Merry Christmas, Miss Cuthbert," I said.

She smiled at me as she said, "Merry Christmas to you too, Gilbert."

"Where's Anne?"

"She's at home sick with a bad cold."

I hope I didn't get her sick by having her out too long the other day. "Oh."

"She tried to convince me to let her go, but I thought that it would be best if she stayed home and rest. After all, I wouldn't want her giving her cold to anyone else."

I looked over at my parents. "Do you think I could stop by a little later to give Anne her present?"

"Of course you can. I know Anne would love to see you."

"Thank you."

I went back over to my parents and told them that I needed to make an important errand after we went back home. Dad patted me on the back and whispered, "Good luck." I was sure I was going to need that.

As soon as I got home, I put my guitar in its case along with the tabs and went out the door. I had to take a few deep breaths in order to calm myself down, but I managed to be okay. As soon as I got to Green Gables, Marilla answered the door.

"It's nice to see you again, Gilbert," she said. "Anne's in the living room."

"Okay, Miss Cuthbert. Thank you for letting me do this," I said.

"Don't mention it."

She went into the kitchen after closing the door, and I went to the living room. Sure enough, Anne was in there stretched out on the couch. She was in a Redmond University sweatshirt and plaid pajama pants with a box of tissues in one hand and the remote control to the TV in another hand. Even though she was sick, she looked cute.

"Gil!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Just paying a Christmas visit to my friend," I said. "You just had to get sick on Christmas, didn't you?"

"Yeah. It's just my bad luck." She frowned.

"Oh cheer up, Anne. It's Christmas, and I know you don't want to be sad on Christmas."

"That's true."

I put my case down and took a seat next to Anne on the couch.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Part of your present," I replied. I was starting to get nervous now.

"Not before I give you your present first." She reached over to the coffee table and handed me a box with red glitter wrapping paper on it. "Open it."

I tore off the wrapping paper and was shocked at what I saw. Inside that box was _The Godfather Trilogy_ DVD set, possibly the top three movies on my all time favorite movie list. A set like that doesn't come cheap. "Thanks, Anne. You really didn't need to do that." Now I didn't know if my gift to her would be enough.

"But I wanted to, Gil," she objected. "You deserve it after everything you've done for me. This is nothing."

Yet another reason why I love this girl: she rarely thinks about herself. "Well, I guess my present for you is nothing compared to that," I said.

"I'll love whatever you give me," she said. The look in her eyes assured me that she meant it.

I sighed. "I decided to be original this year and wanted to give you something that no one's ever given you before."

"Really?" Her ears perked up. "What is it?"

I swallowed hard. "A song."

I relaxed a little when I saw her smile. I got the guitar out of the case and spread the tabs across the table. I plucked each string to see if it was in tune, and it was then that I started shaking a bit. My heart started racing, my palms were sweaty, and I could feel sweat starting to form. Anne sat there patiently waiting for me begin. I don't know why, but I was more nervous here than when I proposed to her the first time. I took a deep breath and prayed that my vocal cords wouldn't give out on me. I then began to start the song.

_So close no matter how far  
Couldn't be much more from the heart  
Forever trust in who we are  
And nothing else matters... _

I took my time since I didn't want to rush things. I made my way through the song without any major mess ups, but I did manage to hesitate a bit. Anne didn't notice though. I snook a few glances at her during some of the easier portions, and to my relief, she was loving it. I haven't seen her smile like that in a long time, and I couldn't have asked for a better reaction. When I was through, Anne clapped and hugged me.

"That was the best present anyone has ever given me, Gil," she said into my ear. "I'll remember that forever." She then gave me a quick peck on the mouth, causing me to blush. I don't blush often, so she caught me at a rare moment. "Since when did you learn how to play? I don't ever recall you playing anything."

"Well..." I began, "it's never too late to start now, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She looked at TV. "Do you want to watch a movie with me? I mean, if you can stay and don't have to go right away."

"I don't have any plans," I said. And even if I did, I wasn't going to leave Anne like this. "What do you want to watch?"

"_Chocolat_."

"Is that a chick flick?"

"Yes..."

"Uhh..."

"Please, Gil!" she begged. "Just this once? For me?"

There was no way in the world that I could resist those puppy dog like eyes, so I agreed to watch it with her. I noticed that she was shivering, so I put a blanket around her shoulders. Since she wouldn't stop shivering, I put my arm around her. I was going to do that anyway, but now I had a legitimate excuse to do so. The film turned out to be much better than I had anticipated, but half way through it, Anne fell asleep on my shoulder. I wasn't complaining or anything. She looked so peaceful. It was a little awkward though when Marilla walked in to check on us. I gave her an "I-don't-know-what-to-do" look, but she just smiled and walked away. After the movie was over, Anne was still fast asleep. I decided that it was time to go, so I gently got Anne off my shoulder and laid her down on a pillow. I put my guitar and tabs back in the case, but before I left, I kissed Anne on the forehead and whispered, "Merry Christmas, my love" in her ear. I quietly said goodbye to Marilla and slipped out. I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas.

* * *

I got an unexpected present the next day resulting from my time spent with Anne because it was now my turn to be sick. Great. I don't regret spending time with her though. I'd gladly do it again, but the thing was that Anne was miraculously better and wanted to do something. Unfortunately, I had to turn her down because I was in no condition to go out, and I didn't want to get her sick again. Luckily she understood, but she begged me to get better by New Year's. And that I did.

I was invited to a New Year's Eve party by Josie Pye, but knowing it was her party, I didn't go. Anne didn't go either because she didn't want her holiday to be ruined by some spoiled rotten little brat. After all, Josie would be bugging me all night, and I know she knew how to make Anne's blood going. Besides, I didn't want to ruin things with Anne after we had re-established the grounds we were on before I proposed and possibly went a little bit further.

So on New Year's Eve, Anne and I were over at my house while Mom and Dad went to a New Year's party. We got a whole bunch of movies and just batched out in front of the TV. Anne challenged me to a mini popcorn eating contest to see how many times we could catch a kernel of popcorn in our mouths after we threw it up in the air. I'm happy to say that I won that little match, but Anne wouldn't have it. She stuck her nose up in the air at me and challenged me to a water chugging contest. I think all that popcorn I ate made me full, and as a result, Anne won that round. She laughed and stuck her tongue out at me, and I couldn't help but laugh. Yep, that's the Anne-girl I knew and loved.

I looked up at the clock and noticed that it was one minute until midnight. I nudged Anne.

"It's almost the new year," I said. "There's one minute left."

We both stared at the clock until there were ten seconds to go.

"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...Happy New Year!"

Anne started humming the tune "Auld Lang Syne"that they sing every year on New Year's. I was happy yet sad at the same time. I was happy because the new year brought in a fresh start, but that meant that we would both have to return to school again soon. And I would have to face both Roy and Christine when I got back, but I wasn't going to let that spoil my evening. I took charge of the moment and did what almost any man would do with his love at midnight; I kissed Anne. When I pulled back, I saw something unusual in her eyes. Was it disappointment there? Did she actually want to keep going? As thrilled as I was, I knew I couldn't push my luck and misinterpret what I saw. There was no way that I could be that lucky. I guess I'll take what I can get and pray that she realizes that I mean as much to her as she means to me.

* * *

Unfortunately for us, it was time to hit the books again and head back to Redmond. I definitely wasn't looking forward to it. I liked my vacation and savored the joys of being able to do what I want, when I want, and how I want without people looking down on me, meaning professors, Roy, Christine, and their numerous spies. Oh well; what can you do, eh? I hoped that Roy wouldn't be in any of my classes this semester because if we were stuck in the same class and were forced to work on the same project together, then let's just say that it's not going to be pretty.

Anne and I left Avonlea at the same time, so we could make our lunch stop and break stops together. It was a lot of fun just hanging out with her because I knew we wouldn't have as much time to do so this semester. Before we left our last pit stop, I made sure to give Anne a kiss on the cheek since we would be heading our separate ways to our dorms. She blushed and gave me one too before getting in her car and driving away.

As soon as I arrived in my dorm, I received a frantic phone call from Anne.

"Gil, I can't believe what's happening!" she cried. She sounded absolutely hysterical.

"What?" I asked.

"I've been apparently fired from work!"

"Huh?"

"That's right. My jerk of a boss fired me because I took Christmas break off to go back home after he gave me that lecture on how I should show up everyday and yadda, yadda, yadda. He makes me so mad, Gil! You'll never believe who he hired to replace me."

"Who?"

"Roy...Gardner!"

Whoa. Am I hearing things correctly? "Anne, are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious!"

"Roy Gardner is working at a bookstore? Does he even need a job if he has all that money that he claims he has? Does he know that that job requires reading, a skill that he doesn't have?"

"I don't know. What makes matters even worse is that my old boss happens to be Roy's cousin."

That sounded way too suspicious to me. No wonder he gave Anne such a hard time before the holidays. It wasn't that she wasn't doing her job; it was because of family favortism. And of course, Roy wanted to make himself look good to his cousin by putting down his ex-girlfriend in order to get work. I simply didn't agree with it and hated to watch Anne get treated unfairly. Why does Roy always have to stir up trouble? Can't he leave well enough alone and get a life? Maybe it's because he doesn't have one. I guess the same goes for Christine. What I have learned from this whole ordeal so far is that appearances really are deceptive, and you need to go deeper than them in order to get the real picture. As cliché as it sounds, it's true, and sometimes you don't realize it until it's too late.

"I can't believe it, Anne," I managed to say. "It's not right what he did to you."

"But there's nothing I can do now," she said sadly. "At least I can move on and do something else. Besides, maybe things happen for a reason. You never know."

I shook my head. "Hang in there. It's not the end of the world, and maybe you'll find some place else where the people are nicer and pay you much more."

She chuckled slightly. "I can only hope, Gil." I heard her blow her nose into a tissue. "Well, I guess I'll let you go since I've bothered you long enough."

"You never bother me, Anne,"I said sincerely. I was really tempted to tell her that I loved her at that moment, but I restrained myself. "You can call me anytime, even if it's at 3 A.M. My roommate might hate it, but I won't." She laughed. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"Okay. Bye!"

"Bye."


	8. Chapter 8

Like always, thanks for reading and giving me feedback!

CourtneyRBowman, feel better!  
pineappl92, I decided to keep some elements from the books in here with some inspiration coming from the Canadian series with a little twist. Marilla and John Blythe did have a relationship back in the day according to the books, but things didn't work out between the two of them. As for writing a chapter in Anne's POV, I didn't consider that when I wrote this many years ago, but now that you mention it, it wouldn't be a bad idea. Posting this made me realize how I much I missed writing and going through the whole process, so if I get any ideas over winter break (after finals are over), then I may start again.  
JoJo, I'm on it! :P

To be perfectly honest, I think this section is short and a little rushed and maybe even a little far fetched. Now that I look back, I probably would have written it a bit differently than I did back then, but it's part of the turning point of this story. So to make up for my flaws, I'm going to post two consecutive chapters. Enjoy!

- ladybell

* * *

**Chapter 8**

My first official day in class the next day was horrible. Why? It was déja vu all over again with Roy. Yes, he was in still in my history class, but thankfully that was the only class we had together.

"Oh look who's here," said Roy nonchalantly when he saw me walking in. "It's the highly intellectual Gilbert Blythe!"

I rolled my eyes at him and had a seat on the opposite side of the room, hoping not to repeat last semester's fight. Sure, I hated him, but I didn't want to cause trouble because of it. As a result, I sat quietly in my seat and bit my tongue whenever any word came out of his mouth. Nothing happened between us, so that was good.

At the end of the day, I saw Anne with Christine outside the library. Anne was doing her best to ignore whatever Christine was saying to her, so I decided to join her to see what was going on.

"Oh hello, Gilbert!" greeted Christine with phony sweetness. "How are you today?"

I blew her off and said hi to Anne instead. I heard Christine pouting in the background, but I didn't care. Anne whispered a few things to me, and we walked away together. Just to tick Christine off since I knew she was still watching us, I put my arm around Anne's back. Anne smiled, but Christine made the loudest gasp just to draw attention to herself. I don't know what happened next, but I could almost guarantee that she was going to tell Roy and her friends. Sure enough, Roy glared at me the entire time the next time we were both in history class, but I just looked away and paid attention to the professor.

* * *

These antics with Roy and Christine continued up until spring break. It was the last day before everyone left, and unfortunately, it was just Roy and me out in the parking lot.

"So, Blythe, have any plans for spring break?" asked Roy.

"Yeah," I replied, trying to figure out the reason why he would want to talk to me after everything he did to Anne and me.

"Do any of those plans include getting lucky with Anne Shirley?"

My eyes narrowed with that question. I knew what it meant all right, but why was he asking that? "Why do you care what I do or not?"

He laughed for some peculiar reason. "Good luck, man. You're gonna need it."

"What's that supposed to mean? You didn't even answer my question."

"Why don't you answer this?"

He came running at me and knocked me to the ground. I got back up and punched him in the face. He came back stronger, but I just countered every single one of his attacks. Then out of nowhere, he got an object of some sort, I think it was a club (I don't remember), and whacked me over the head with it. I fell to the ground and was knocked out cold. I don't remember anything that happened after that moment, but from what I've been told, one of the security guards on campus that was watching us rushed over to pin down Roy. He called for an ambulance for me and called for back up for Roy. I was immediately rushed to the nearby hospital where doctors could hopefully get me out of my coma and treat my concussion.

* * *

I was unconscious for some time. I have no idea how long, but I can recall how I got out of it though. I heard a small weeping noise in my left ear, so I turned my head to the left. I also felt something touching my shoulder. The noise stopped, and I felt something squeezing my hand. I squeezed back to see what it was, and I made out the figure of a little hand holding mine. I just had to know whose hand it was, so I forced myself to open my eyes. Slowly but surely, I saw the hand in mine, and I knew that that hand belonged to Anne.

"Anne..." I managed to say.

She looked up at me as she got her head up from my shoulder. "Gil!" she whispered. Hot tears started streaming down her face. "You're okay!"

"Of course I am."

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "I thought you were dying!"

"But I'm not."

"I know, but I just had to see you for myself. I was so scared, Gil, especially after everything that happened. I couldn't bare the fact of losing you; you mean everything to me." _You mean everything to me._ How I loved the sound of that one little sentence! She went on. "Did you hear what happened to Roy?" I nodded no. "The authorities have him in custody and are going to take care of him. I don't know what will happen now, but at least he can't do anything stupid. If he does, then he'll get in much deeper trouble. The university officially expelled him about a few hours ago because they didn't want him ruining their image, and rumor has it that Christine has already dropped out."

That was a lot of information for me to handle at one time, but I got it. I then looked into Anne's gray eyes. They were no longer filled with tears but now had the look of love of them, something I haven't seen before. Could it be? I couldn't take it any longer and had to say what I truly felt. "Anne, I love you."

The look on her face said it all. "I love you too, Gil."

She kissed me. It was the sweetest kiss I ever had, and knowing that it came from the girl of my dreams made it so much sweeter. She pulled back and rested her head on my shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," she said.

"For what?" I asked, wanting to know what she was apologizing for.

"For being so blind and not realizing my feelings sooner. It's my fault you're in here."

"Stop right there, Anne. None of this was your fault."

"If I hadn't gone out with Roy, then you wouldn't be in here right now."

"But if it wasn't for him, then would you have realized your feelings for me when you did?"

She stopped to think about it. "Maybe not as soon as this, but eventually I would have."

I shook my head. "You're here with me now, and nothing else matters. I love you, Anne, and that will never change."

I kissed her this time except one of my doctors walked in on us.

"I guess I can say that my patient is up now," he joked.

"Hi, Doc," I said, embarrassed.

"You sure know how to get a guy awake from a coma," he said to Anne.

She laughed. "I do what I can."

He then asked me a few more questions before leaving the room. He said that I should be released from the hospital within a day. Anne told me that she had called my parents to let them know what was going on. As worried as they were, she said that they sent their love to me, and she promised them that she would take me home as soon as I got out of the hospital. Visiting hours were almost over, so we had to say goodbye.

"Good night, Gil," she said. "Sweet dreams."

"Of course they'll be sweet now that I have you," I said.

She blushed. "Bye."

"Bye."

With one last kiss, she walked to the door, blew me a kiss in the air, and went back to her dorm. I have never slept so good in my entire life.


	9. Chapter 9

Portions of this chapter were inspired by other stories that I have read. One particular section is lovingly ripped off from Bill Engvall of _The Blue Collar Comedy Tour _(and even the term "loving ripped off" is ripped off from Monty Python - yikes! :P). While it's something Gil normally wouldn't say, I couldn't help but throw it in here. Let's see if you can find it. ;)

- ladybell

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Love can do strange things to people, and in my case it made things go for the better. When I woke up the next morning, I felt as if I was on Cloud 9, blissfully happy with life and couldn't wait for the day to begin. It was as if the incident between me and Gardner never happened; Roy who? As soon as visiting hours began, Anne walked in my room.

"Rise and shine, sleepy head!" she said with a wide grin on her face as she greeted me with a kiss.

"Sleepy? Who are you calling sleepy?" I teased her.

"Oh, no one. If you want, I can come back..."

"NO!"

She laughed. "Don't be silly. I'm not going anywhere."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."

The same doctor that walked in on us the day before came again, and he was genuinely surprised with my condition. He said that an injury like mine would have to take at least a few weeks to recover, yet I looked perfectly fine and miraculously better the next day. He had to look at me two or three times since he didn't believe his eyes and had to call in a couple of his colleagues to see if it was real. It was. After my examination was complete, he concluded that I was well enough to be discharged. He gave all the credit to Anne for my quick recovery (and I do, too).

After I got out, Anne drove me back to my parking space at school to retrieve my suitcases out of the trunk of my car, for we were going home. (I was going to head back prior to the confrontation, but because of obvious reasons, I couldn't do it.) She put my suitcases in the trunk of her car despite my objections to let me do it, and we were on our way.

It was an interesting ride to say the least because we fought a bit over the radio. I would change it to one station, and she would change it to another. I liked hard rock, and she liked pop/soft rock. Then there were times when we actually agreed, and we would roll down our windows to blast the Backstreet Boys or Ricky Martin while singing along badly. When we weren't doing that, Anne and I would talk about anything. It was so nice to hold a conversation with someone that was as smart if not smarter than me and not feel intimidated; I loved hearing what she had to say about things.

I was almost saddened to see our ride end since I loved spending so much time with Anne, but I was glad to be home. Mom and Dad were worried sick about me and immediately came out to the driveway to greet me. Mom threw her arms around me and kissed my cheek a few times. Dad just embraced me in a bear hug. But once they both saw what good condition I was in, they relaxed a little. I invited Anne over to stay for a bit, but she declined.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner, Anne?" I asked. "Mom and Dad won't mind."

"I'm sure, Gil. Marilla will be worried about me. And besides, you need your rest after all that traveling we did today. Even though you're out of the hospital, you still need to take it easy before you fall off of Cloud 9," she replied with a wink.

"But -"

She put a finger to my lips. "I won't have you risking your health and well being for me. I'll never forgive myself."

I sighed. "Fine. Can we go for a little walk tomorrow then?" It was my turn to bring out the puppy dog eyes.

"Okay. Where do you wanna go?"

"I don't know." In reality I did know, but I didn't want her to start calculating stuff just yet. "Umm...how does Hester Gray's garden sound?"

She smiled. "Wonderful."

"So I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Bye, Gil."

"Bye, Anne."

I kissed her goodbye and watched as she went to Green Gables. I didn't know that Dad was still outside watching us, so I jumped when I felt him pat me on the back.

"Way to go, son," he said. "Way to go."

* * *

When I went by Green Gables the next day, I found Anne waiting for me on the porch. She wore a green dress that left me speechless...again. It was as if she came out of a dream, and I never wanted to wake up. I pinched myself to see if it was real, and sure enough, I felt the pain. I wasn't in a dream after all. Anne had a picnic basket in her hand, knowing that we would need food since we would be out all day.

We walked hand and hand on the way to Hester Gray's garden, and I couldn't have asked for a prettier day. The sun was out, the weather was nice, and I had my Anne-girl next to me. When we arrived, Anne laid out the picnic blanket, and we sat back and relaxed.

"Gil, it's so beautiful out today!" Anne exclaimed. "I'm so glad you thought of this."

"Me, too," I said. And I meant it.

The real reason why I brought her out to Hester Gray's garden was so that I could propose to her yet again. I knew what I did wrong the first time, and I learned form my mistakes. This time I would not rush things and would trust my gut in telling me when the time was right. I was nervous in that we had just established a new level in our relationship not too long ago, and there was fear lingering in the back of my head that she would turn me down a second time. But I just knew that I had to do this now. My instinct was telling me to swallow my pride and make another attempt because without Anne, I'm nothing.

I turned to look at her and noticed that she was lost in thought.

"What are you thinking about, Anne?" I asked.

"Hopes and dreams," she said. "What things would be like if they happened differently."

"Like..."

"What would happen if cows actually talked?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, do they actually moo, or is there something they're trying to tell us but can't due to lack of communication skills?"

I laughed. "I don't know. So are you implying that your cow Dolly has subliminal messages hidden beneath her moos?"

She looked both ways rather quickly. "Maybe."

We both laughed this time. How I loved her and her randomness! She's everything I want and everything I need rolled up in one package.

"Anne, I'm never gonna think of cows the same way again," I commented.

"I'm taking that as a compliment, Gil," she said with a smile. "So...do you ever wonder what would happen if things worked out differently?"

"Well...I can't say that I've never thought about it."

"Really? Like what?"

Now I got nervous. My gut was telling me that this was the perfect opportunity to get somewhere, yet I didn't want to just blurt it out. So I took my time and tried to act calm. "Like what would happen if dogs could talk, if cats could bark...and what would happen if I wasn't such a fool."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "What do you mean by that?"

I sighed. "Wanting what's in my wildest dreams even though they might not come true."

She shook her head. "That's not foolish, Gil. I do that, too."

I took her hands into mine and looked directly into her eyes. "Anne, I love you more than anything, more than you'll ever know. You are my love, my life, my soul, everything. I can't go on without you. You don't have to give me the answer to this now if you're not ready, but will you do me the honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?"

The look on her face told me everything that I needed to know. "YES!"

Anne threw her arms around me. I was absolutely stunned. All the worrying I did was for nothing, but I didn't mind. I finally had her after all these years. I kissed her on the forehead before moving down to her mouth. Forget the world around me, I'm happy and in love.

Anne pulled back and looked me in the eyes. "So you've forgiven me for all my faults?"

"Faults? What faults?" I asked, surprised that she would ask such a thing.

"You know...umm...I talk too much, I'm a klutz, I have dreadful red hair - "

"That's enough, Anne."

"...I have freckles, I'm stupid -"

"You can stop, hon."

"...I turned you down the first time you proposed to me, I hurt you the first day we met, I totally acted like a jerk to you for years -"

"Anne..."

"...I went out with Roy - I can't believe I did that! - and..."

Since she wouldn't stop rattling on about her so-called faults, I made her stop with my mouth. She blushed afterwards.

"I love you, all of you, and whether you have pink hair, cat ears, or a bushy tail, I love you all the same," I said as I gently moved her hair from her face.

"I love you, Gil," she said, putting her head on my shoulder. "But I must say that that thing you just described would look pretty weird."

I laughed. "It would, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah."

We spent the rest of the day in Hester Gray's garden eating, talking, and relaxing. After everything we've been through together so far in the year, we could use a break.

"What are you thinking about, Carrots?" I asked as I laid down on her lap and she messaged my temples.

"Our life together," she replied dreamily. "Our wedding, our honeymoon, our family, our kids..."

"I can't wait to have kids."

"Really? Me, too."

I smiled. "I wanna have a house full of them. I can see it now: little Blythes running all over the place."

She laughed. "I can't wait for that to happen, Gil, but you do know that those kids will grow up eventually, right?"

"Of course, I know that."

"Like when they start dating, what are you gonna do?"

"I know exactly what I'll do."

Her ears perked up. "What's that?"

"If we have a girl and the boy she likes comes over to the house, then I'll bring the guy close to me to have a one-on-one chat. I'll tell him, 'You see that girl right there? That's my little girl, man. She's my life, so if you have any thoughts about hugging or kissing, remember these words: I ain't got no problem going back to prison!'"

She burst out laughing. "Wow...I have no words for that."

"I'm taking that as a compliment, my dear," I said.

"But what if we have a boy?"

"Then I'll give him tips on how to win girls that are like his mother."

"Gil!" She playfully slapped me. "You're incorrigible."

It was my turn to laugh. "I know, babe. You don't have to tell me." I winked at her.

I realized that it was getting late, so I reluctantly got up from Anne's lap and got Anne on her feet. She put the picnic blanket back into the basket, and we went back to Green Gables. We decided not to tell anyone of our engagement until the next day since we were both tired, and there was still the issue of the ring. I dropped Anne off at the gate and kissed her good night. I went back home with the biggest smile on my face. Mom and Dad knew something was up when I walked in and still had that goofy expression on my face.

"Gil, is there something you want to tell us?" asked Mom, her eyes filled with hope.

"Maybe," I replied, trying to hide my smile but failing miserably.

"You can't lie to me, son," said Dad. "I know that look well enough."

"Well...there is something actually," I admitted.

"Like?" asked Mom.

"Something so great that I feel like running around Avonlea and screaming at the top of my lungs."

"And what is that?"

"I've asked Anne to marry me, and she said 'yes'."

"Oh, Gil!"

She ran up to me and gave me a huge hug. Dad just sat back in his chair and smiled.

"I told you so," he said.

"I know," I said, looking over at him.

I couldn't help but smile. Mom and Dad were thrilled, and the whole house was buzzing until late into the night.

* * *

I went to Green Gables early the next morning. I assumed that Anne couldn't really sleep either since she was up waiting for me. She let me in, and I sat at the kitchen table as she cooked breakfast. Marilla woke up soon after and was shocked to see me there.

"Good morning, Anne. Good morning, Gilbert," she said as she was walking in the kitchen. She stopped herself, took a step back, and looked at me. "Gilbert?"

"Marilla, I know what you're thinking," said Anne. "I promise you that nothing happened like that."

"Honest," I added, putting my hands up in the air.

"I believe you, but I'm just shocked to see you here so early. That's all," Marilla yawned as she took a seat at the table. "I know you and Anne had a long day out yesterday."

"We did. We enjoyed it. Didn't we, Anne?"

Anne walked over with three plates full of eggs and bacon. "We did." She came around the back of my chair and put her arms around my neck. Marilla looked at Anne before looking at me and looked back at Anne.

"Is something going on between you two that I don't know about?" she asked.

Anne took a deep breath. "Marilla, when Gilbert and I went on our walk yesterday, we went to Hester Gray's garden. There, he proposed to me, and I accepted."

Marilla didn't say a word for a moment and remained emotionless. I got scared. Did she still hold a grudge against my father after what happened many years ago? Was this so-called feud ever going to end? My worries vanished as a smile slowly came on her face, followed by laughter.

"It's about time you came to your senses, child!" Marilla exclaimed, coming over to give Anne and me one massive hug. She looked me in the eye and said fiercely, "Take good care of her, Gilbert."

"I will," I said with the same conviction in my voice.

We ate our breakfast and happily discussed plans for the future. Rachel Lynde stopped by and was as shocked as Marilla when she first saw me there, but she was not at all surprised by the news of the engagement. She along with the rest of Avonlea called it way back in the beginning, and I was glad that she was right...for once. (Don't tell her I said that.) Anne did the best she could to convince her not to tell anyone of the engagement just yet because she wanted us to get a ring first. After a little while, we said goodbye to Marilla and Rachel as it was time for us to solve the issue of a ring.

"Anne, I need to get you a ring," I said as we were walking. "So what kind of diamond do you want, Carrots?"

"I don't want a diamond, Gil," she replied.

I froze in my tracks. She _didn't_ want a diamond? I thought all girls, regardless of their age, wanted diamonds. "Huh?" I asked, incredulous.

"I don't want a diamond," she repeated, turning towards me.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious. When I was little, I used to imagine that they were purple. But then I found out that they weren't, and I was sad."

"They do make purple diamonds, you know." There was no way that I could possibly afford a real purple diamond for her after all the money I had to pay towards my tuition, but I was willing to do whatever I could for her.

"I know," she said, "but I'd rather have pearls."

"Pearls?" I asked. "Aren't they for tears?"

"Tears come in many different forms: in joy, in surprise, in sadness, in frustration, in pain. Some of my best moments came with tears, Gil."

"Like?"

"When I realized that I loved you."

I smiled and kissed her. "You have a point, Anne-girl."

"So give me pearls, and I'll willingly accept anything that comes our way."

"Okay."

Together, we walked into Lawson's. Alice Lawson was a little shocked to see us enter her store hand in hand, but she was happy nonetheless. Luckily for Anne, she had a wide variety of pearl rings to choose from since she too favored pearls over diamonds.

"How do you like this one, Anne?" asked Alice as she pointed to a ring in the display case.

"It's too big," she replied. "I don't want anything too flashy."

"Hmm..." Alice picked out another ring. "How about this one?"

"It's too small."

I started to scan the selection and spotted a ring that seemed just right. It wasn't too big or too small in size, and the design was beautiful. It had a medium sized pearl as a center stone with smaller pearls framing the sides of it on a gold band. I pointed the ring out to Anne. "How's this one, Carrots?"

She gasped. "Gil, it's beautiful! Alice, can I have a closer look at it?"

Alice got the ring out of the case and handed it to Anne. Anne put it on her finger, and I knew that I had found the perfect ring.

"It's so beautiful," she whispered. "I love it."

"Do you want it?" I asked. She nodded. "Then you shall have it, my dear." I saw her blush, and then she kissed me. "Alice, how much do you want it for?"

"Nothing," she said.

I almost choked on my own saliva. "What?"

She laughed. "It's on me, Gilbert. I've known both you and Anne for so long, and it's about time you two had your happiness. This is only small one thing that I can do for you."

I held out my hand to her. "Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it," she said, shaking my hand.

"Alice?" asked Anne.

"Yes?"

"Do you mind helping me look for something?"

"Sure. What do you want to look for?"

"Do you have any...umm...I don't know...any masculine looking gold bands?"

My ears perked up. Was she looking for what I was thinking she was looking for?

"I do," replied Alice. "Right this way."

She lead Anne to another display case. Anne examined it until she found what she was looking for. She pointed to a simple gold band that had diagonal stripes with little stones in between four of them. "Can I see this one?"

Alice took the ring and gave it to Anne.

"Gil, give me your left hand," Anne said. I gave her my hand, and she placed the ring on my ring finger. "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful, Anne, but what's the meaning of it?" I asked.

"It's my engagement ring for you. I know it's not traditional to do such a thing, but you've done so much for me. I love you, and this is only one way to show it. Besides, I don't want any other ladies to get any ideas about taking my man."

I laughed. "No one's going to take me away from you, Anne-girl. I promise you."

After a few more minutes, we said goodbye to Alice and thanked her for both of our rings. I looked at Anne, and she was glowing. I guess pearls aren't such a bad thing after all.


	10. Chapter 10

Love the responses so far. Keep 'em coming! :)

CourtneyRBowman, I'm looking for a Gilbert, too!  
JoJo, I'm on it!

- ladybell

* * *

**Chapter 10**

The rest of the week went by rather quickly, and the news of our engagement spread as fast as you can say "They're finally engaged?" Of course, no one was surprised by our announcement. They were probably expecting it years ago. Diana and Fred Wright were the first ones to congratulate us outside of our families. Everyone else seemed thrilled except Josie Pye and Charlie Sloane. Charlie felt indifferent about it and shrugged it off while Josie acted like...well...typical Josie. The phoniness beneath her smile and tone of voice was evident because it looked like it took so much effort to just say "Congratulations." I guess Pyes never change.

To my dismay, spring break was over. Anne and I reluctantly left for Redmond to finish the semester. We took turns driving along the way, and we talked about a wide variety of things but mainly focused on the wedding.

"Anne, " I began, "I love you with all my heart, but it'll be awhile - a long while - until I'll graduate from med school. And I want to give you the big wedding of your dreams -"

"I don't want a huge wedding, Gil," she interrupted. "I just want you...and Marilla and Rachel and Diana and Fred and their kids. I don't need an extravagant gala to show the world how much I love you; I think they already know that." She winked at me.

I chucked but then grew serious. "Even after I graduate from med school, there won't be any diamond sunbursts or marble halls."

"I don't want all that. You're all I need, and if I have to wait thirty years, then I'll gladly do so."

"I'm pretty sure I'll be out by then, Carrots."

She laughed and took an opportunity to tease me. "Are you sure?"

"Uhh...yeah."

"Really sure?"

"Yeah."

"Absolutely positively sure?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Absolutely positively, really, really sure?"

"Yes!"

"Absolutely -"

I didn't let her finish. I leaned over to give her a quick kiss and went back to driving. Anne sat back in her seat and sighed. "Yeah, you're sure all right." We both laughed as we arrived back on campus.

As I walked back to my dorm, I ran into an unexpected visitor.

"Hello, Gilbert," said the smoky voice coming from behind me.

I turned around, and it was none other than Christine.

"What do you want?" I demanded. "What are you doing here?"

"Just hanging out," she replied coolly, getting closer to me. "I just wanted to say hey to an old friend, that's all."

I backed off. "Didn't you drop out already after they expelled your fiancé?"

"Well, yeah, but I officially got my stuff out of my dorm room today. This is the last time that I'll be here, and you'll never see me again."

Thank God. "Oh," I muttered.

"Won't you miss me?" she asked sweetly, putting her arms around my shoulders.

I rolled my eyes and got her off of me. "Why the heck are you asking me such a question after everything you and Roy have done to me and even Anne for that matter?"

Christine got upset. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, you know what it means all right."

"Uh...no, I don't."

I can't believe that I even considered going out with this girl and at one time even thinking that she could be a candidate to get over Anne. "You really don't get it, do you?"

"Ugh!"

"Listen, Christine. Do you really want me to tell you the truth?" She nodded her head. As much as I hated to be mean to the girl, I had to do it. "The truth is that ever since we went to Homecoming together, we have both changed. You decided to use me and go for Roy, and that's fine. But what I don't like is how you treated Anne. Even from the very beginning, you were rude to her. You could have at least acted like a kind and decent human being, but you chose not to. And then, Roy went after me, and I was in the hospital. And let's not forget how Roy had Anne fired from her job before all that. Now, you're expecting me to miss you when you're following your convict fiancé around after all the crap you put me through? Ha! Do you think I'm stupid?" Her eyes grew wide. "I've moved on after you. I have a life, you know." I showed her the ring on my left hand. "You see this? This is my engagement ring. That's right; I'm engaged...to someone else. I have someone who loves me and cares for me the way you never did and never will. She's more of a woman than you'll ever be, so do me a favor, Christine. Go back to Roy where you belong, and never bother me or Anne again!"

She saw the look in my eyes and ran away. I never saw her again.

* * *

The rest of my time at Redmond flew before my eyes. Literally. Before I even knew it, Anne and I were both graduating with honors and were co-valedictorians of our class. I couldn't have been more proud of Anne; I had an incredibly smart and beautiful woman as my fiancée. How lucky can one guy be? She was offered a few teaching positions in the area but declined, saying that she wanted to go home. I couldn't blame her. I missed home too, but I had a med degree to earn. Anne understood this and willingly waited for me back in Avonlea. We managed to get through many - and I mean many - phone calls, instant messages, e-mails, holidays, and vacations together. In the meantime Anne was making a name out of herself through her writing and was named one of Canada's hottest young authors by a major magazine. It was an honor to be proud of, but Anne acted as if it were nothing. That's the way she is, and I wouldn't have her any other way.

After many years of hard work and dedication, I received my med degree. I gladly shook the Dean's hand and grabbed my diploma. Anne sat in the front row along with my parents and cheered me on. It meant a lot to me that they were there. The elegant piece of paper that I held in my hand signified that I could now legally start practicing medicine and could earn a living for myself. It also meant that Anne and I could finally start planning our wedding. Since we were engaged for eternity almost, I'm pretty sure people thought that we were married years ago.

I went back to Avonlea with Anne and my parents to start the whole stressful yet hopefully worthwhile process of planning the wedding. After dropping Anne off at Green Gables, Mom suggested that we invite Anne and Marilla over to dinner to discuss things. I became nervous. For as long as I could remember, Dad and Marilla never really sat down and talked with each other, and judging from their history, I wasn't sure if Marilla would agree to it. Dad looked a little uneasy about the matter, but Mom gave him the "don't-you-dare-question-me-or-else" look since she didn't want to argue with him in front of me.

"John, whether you like it or not, Marilla is Anne's adoptive mother," she said when we got back home, making sure I was out of the room before she started anything. "She has every right to help plan this wedding." He still wasn't sure of the idea. "I know what happened with you two, but you can't let that get in the way of Gil's happiness. He's your son. He loves Anne, Anne loves him, and I have never seen him this happy. If you can't do this for yourself, then think about Gil."

He was silent for a moment. "You're right, Donna. This is about Anne and Gil, not me, so let's invite Anne and Marilla over tomorrow night."

"Gil!" called Mom.

I went out to the living room. "Yes?"

"Call Anne and invite her and Marilla over to dinner tomorrow night."

"Alright."

I did was I was told, and Anne accepted the invitation. So as awkward as it was going to be, Dad and Marilla were going to truly face each other for the first time in years. I didn't know if I was supposed to be scared, excited, or what.

* * *

Mom spent the next day cleaning up around the house and preparing the meal for the dinner party. Dad did yard work, and I went back and forth in helping them both. I acted cool around both of them, but in reality I was really nervous. What if either Dad or Marilla still held on to their grudges from so long ago? What if they cause a scene? How will Anne react? How will Mom react? How will I react? I couldn't sit and think about the endless "what if" questions because there was work to be done, and the whole purpose of the dinner was to get together and plan the wedding.

When the time came near, Mom put the roast in the oven, and we sat in the living room and waited.

"John, remember what we talked about yesterday," Mom said to Dad quietly. He just nodded.

The doorbell rang, and I went to answer it. I kissed Anne of the cheek and beckoned for her and Marilla to come on in. I led them to the living room where Mom and Dad were waiting.

"Here we go," whispered Anne in my ear as I put my arm around her waist. She was as nervous as I was.

Marilla looked tense but managed to keep her composure as she greeted my parents. "Hello, Donna," she said. "Hello, John."

"Hello, Marilla," greeted Mom, extending her hand. Marilla shook it.

"Hello, Marilla," Dad managed to say. He gave her a little nod, and she gave one back.

Anne sensed the tension in the air and tried to lighten things up. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Blythe!" she said with a cheery tone in her voice.

"Pretty soon you'll be calling me Mom," Mom said with the same cheery tone as she gave her a hug. "But now you can call me Donna."

"Okay...Donna." She shrugged. "It'll get some getting used to though."

"That's okay, dear," Dad said, loosening up a bit.

There was an awkward silence for a moment. No one knew what to say or how to act, so Mom suggested that we all have a seat at the dining room table and start discussing wedding plans while the roast finished up its last few minutes in the oven. Dad sat at one end of the table with Mom sitting next to him, and Marilla sat straight across from him. I sat next to Anne and across from Mom, praying that nothing bad would happen.

"Gilbert, congratulations on graduating med school," said Marilla, trying to divert her attention away from Dad.

"Thank you, Miss Cuthbert," I said.

"Please. Call me Marilla. We're all family here," she reassured me.

"Okay." I thought I saw Dad tense up a little when Marilla said "family." I guess it was his turn to start thinking about all those "what if" questions. Never in a million years would he think or even dream that I would someday marry the daughter of his former flame, and now it was one step closer to becoming reality.

"So...where do we get started?"asked Mom.

"I have no idea," said Anne. "I know I had seven years to think about it, and I still don't know what I want. I'm so unlike other girls who have had their weddings planned out since they were five-years-old."

"It's okay, Anne-girl," I told her. "We can make decisions together."

"Alright." She smiled. "Can we start with minor details first? They're easy."

"Sure. What do you want?"

"A bouquet of lilies-of-the-valley. I know I'm a fool for not going for white roses, but I've always been fond of lilies-of-the valley."

"It's your wedding, Anne," said Marilla. "Don't let us get in the way of what you want."

Dad sat back in his chair and silently agreed with Marilla's comment.

Anne went on. "Well...I know I want Diana to be my matron of honor."

"I thought you said you wanted to begin with minor details," I teased her. "The matron of honor is a pretty big deal."

"I know, but that's one of the details that was already given. I mean, it's not like I'm asking Josie Pye to be a bridesmaid."

"Whoa!" I exclaimed. Dad and Marilla laughed at the same time. They stopped and kind of looked at each other before looking in different directions.

"I'll check on the roast," announced Mom. She excused herself and went into the kitchen.

"Anne, is there anything else you want?" I asked.

"I want my bridesmaid dresses to be off-white and angelic like," she said. "And...if it's okay, I'd like to have a short yet meaningful ceremony outside right before the sun sets. Then for the reception, we could have candlelit tables underneath a canopy beneath the stars. I think it would be really beautiful."

I closed my eyes for a brief moment and got the picture in my head. "It's perfect, Carrots."

"Anne, you were always a romantic," commented Marilla with a slight grin.

Mom returned with the roast and side dishes, and dinner began. We all continued discussing the wedding with input from my parents and Marilla. My choice of having Fred Wright being my best man went over well with everyone, and Anne and I agreed that Fred, Jr. and Anne Cordelia were going to be our ringbearer and flower girl. After dinner was ready, I got up to help Mom put the dishes in the sink, but she scolded me, telling me to sit down with my fiancée and let her do the work. I obliged. Anne and I went into the living room to sit down on the couch, leaving Dad and Marilla alone at the table and hoping that they would get into a friendly conversation.

"I never thought I would live to see the day, John," said Marilla. "Your Gilbert and my Anne are finally getting married. It seems as if it were yesterday that they were children."

"I know," said Dad. "Look at them over there, so in love."

Marilla nodded. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was sorry for what happened many years ago, but she didn't have to courage to say her true feelings out loud, especially with Mom there. "I can't help but feel happy for them."

"I know what you mean."

"John, I'm terribly sorry for all the foolishness that has gone on in the past. Can we put away our differences for the sake of Anne and Gilbert and try to be friends again?"

He looked into her eyes. "Yes." He extended her hand to her, and she shook it.

Anne and I looked at each other and went "Aww."

"So I'm guessing the 'feud' is over?" whispered Anne.

"Yeah," I whispered back. "To be honest I think it ended when I proposed to you."

Mom came back into the dining room with a pie and vanilla ice cream and looked at me and Anne. "Kids, do you want some dessert?"

"Do you even have to ask?" I teased her. She laughed at me.

The rest of the evening was pleasant, and I was sorry that it had to end. When it was time for Anne and Marilla to go, I stole a quick kiss from Anne when I thought no one was looking, but the chorus of "Aww's" I heard afterwards meant that I was wrong. I blushed a little afterwards, and Marilla and my parents just laughed it off. The Cuthbert/Blythe "feud" was finally over, and Anne and I couldn't have been any happier about it.


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for reading and reviewing! (You must be tired of me saying that before every chapter. :P)

Veronica, I'm glad to hear that! :)  
CourtneyRBowman, essentially John Blythe and Marilla were the older version of Gil and Anne...except Marilla never came to her senses. John married Gil's mom before Marilla ever had the chance to go back to him, so there was always a bit of tension between the two of them. Maybe it was just a movie thing in Anne 1 and Anne 2 of the Canadian movies.

Anyway, here's the next installment! The song mentioned here is Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing." There are only a couple more chapters left, so stay tuned.

- ladybell

* * *

**Chapter 11**

Pretty soon the rest of the wedding details were put in place. Fred, Diana, and their kids immediately agreed to be in our wedding; they were thrilled actually, especially Diana. She had been waiting for this for years. I asked a couple guys I met in med school to be my groomsmen because it would have been a little awkward for me to ask Moody Spurgeon and Charlie Sloane. (Moody was dating Josie at the time, and I knew it would take an apocalypse or some other life-threatening event in order for them to be friendly towards one another. Charlie, on the other hand, had already asked Anne to marry him before I did the first time, but she rejected him. I did not want any harsh feelings ruining my big day.) Anne chose Phil Gordon (or Blake rather) and another friend from Redmond as her bridesmaids since she didn't want to show favortism over any other of her childhood friends. The wedding would take place on the first Saturday of September before sunset in the orchard at Green Gables with the reception taking place in a white canopy beneath the stars. Luckily for us, my aunt was a talented baker who took joy in cooking new creations and gladly accepted the challenge of designing our cake, and she knew a fantastic catering service that could take care of the food. It seemed as if almost every decision we made required little to no effort on our part.

The wardrobe was another story. For me and the rest of the guys, it took us no time in finding a tux, but for Anne and the girls, it took awhile. Getting a wedding dress is no easy matter, and I was glad that I didn't have to go through the hassle that Anne had to go through. From what I heard from Marilla and Diana, Anne made several trips in order to find the perfect dress. Some were either too big or too small, too fancy or too plain, or "it looked like it came out of a horror movie!" (Anne's words - not mine). Any dress would have been fine with me. She was beautiful enough for me already, but the thought of her dressed all in white was beyond my imagination.

After a few months, it finally hit me: I was getting married. Despite being engaged to Anne for seven glorious (yet painfully long) years and planning the wedding with her, I never fully grasped the concept it until the day before the wedding at the rehearsal. I arrived at Green Gables with my parents, and Anne greeted us, eager to show us the arch where we would be married and the reception canopy. She took my hand and lead us there.

"Isn't it beautiful, Gil?" she asked.

I was amazed at what I saw. The orchard had been transformed into a scene just came straight out of a fairy tale, adorned with bouquets of white lilies on the arch where I would stand and the outer edge of the fashionable white chairs. The reception canopy stood to my right. The soft white canvas looked as if it were yet another cloud in the sky. An off-white table cloth covered the circular tables with a bouquet of lilies sitting on each one. Small, white candles surrounding the flowers were also present. In the center of the tables laid a dance floor and an area reserved for the string quartet that I had hired from my old friends at Redmond.

"It's wonderful, Anne," I said. "It's perfect."

She smiled and nodded. "Oh, I can't wait to get married! Why does it have to be tomorrow?"

"If you want, we can get married right now," I teased her.

"Actually..that doesn't sound like a bad idea."

I raised an eyebrow at her, and she just laughed.

It was time for the rehearsal to begin. I took my place next to Reverend Jo, who would be performing our ceremony. I patiently waited for Anne as the wedding party made its way up the aisle. When it was her turn, she slowly walked up the aisle, and I put her arm through the crook of my arm. Together we walked up towards Reverend Jo, and he began instructing all of us. Everything went smoothly except there was one little moment where Anne Cordelia was jumping up down, doing her little "I gotta go pee" dance, and we had to pause in order for Diana to lead her to use the restroom. Other than that, it all went well.

At dinner afterwards, Dad stood up and made a heartfelt speech.

"I would like to thank you all for coming tonight. As you know, my son Gilbert is getting married to Anne, a beautiful and intelligent girl. I know I can speak for all of us when I say, 'It's about time!'" Everyone laughed. "Gil, you've done us real proud. I remember when you born I told your mother that there were great things destined for you, and I'm proud to say that I was right. You're the best son a father could ask for. I love you, son." I started to get a bit teary eyed, and everyone around me went "Aww!" "Anne, you're an amazing girl, and I'm so glad that we're getting you as a daughter. Donna had always wanted a girl before Gil came, and now she gets her wish. Take good care of our son for us, and God bless you both."

Anne and I both went to Dad and hugged him. He was a bit teary eyed himself, which made his speech even more special than it already was. When it was all over, I said one last goodbye to Anne and kissed her good night, knowing that the next time I would see her would be at the altar the next day.

"Good night, Anne. Sweet dreams, darling," I said, reluctantly letting go of her hand.

"Good night, Gil."

With one last kiss, I went home knowing that I would be a married man this time tomorrow.

* * *

I woke up early the next morning because I couldn't sleep. I was too excited to stay asleep even though I could afford to sleep in. I couldn't believe that the day finally came. All of my efforts and patience throughout the years would be rewarded, for Anne would be officially mine - all mine. Fred and the guys came over in the afternoon to help me relax by playing a bit of football in the yard, and they gave me words of wisdom on how to have a successful marriage and were really supportive. It was nice having them there to hang out. When it was getting near the time to get ready, I had Fred deliver a bride gift for Anne for me since I didn't want Rachel Lynde or anyone else yelling at me for bringing bad luck to my marriage by seeing my bride in her dress before the ceremony. I bought her a pearl choker necklace to match her engagement ring; I hoped that she would like it. Diana came over by the house to deliver Anne's groom gift for me and to give me words of encouragement. When she returned to Green Gables, I opened my gift; it was a beautiful silver watch with a note that read, "Gil, I love you with all my heart. This is only a little something to show you how much I care. To us and our future, darling. Love, the future Mrs. Anne Blythe (and within a matter of minutes, too!)" I smiled, got in my tux, put the watch around my wrist, and waited for the rest of the guys to get ready.

It wasn't long before everyone arrived at Green Gables. I was greeted by Rachel in the orchard where the ceremony would take place along with other Avonlea folk. They were all excited for the wedding and wished me good luck. I looked down at my watch and counted the minutes until the ceremony would begin. Fred came up behind me and patted me on the back, telling me to relax. I nodded and tried to calm down. When it was time, Reverend Jo gave the signal to begin, and I took my place along with the guys. Marilla and my parents made their way to their seats in the front row and smiled at me. I took a deep breath as I waited for my bride.

It seemed as if everything fell into place right then and there. The string quartet played Pachebel's "Canon in D" while the wedding party walked down the aisle. Anne Cordelia casually tossed apple blossom petals along the aisle and went to stand next to Phil Blake. My heart started racing because I knew Anne was up next. Sweat began forming on my forehead, and my hands started shaking a bit. I got goosebumps from thinking too much. Was I worthy of Anne? Could I make her happy? Could I actually show her how much I loved her? All of my fears went away when I saw her standing at the opposite end of the aisle.

To me, she looked like an angel sent down from Heaven. She wore an off the shoulder ivory gown that truly accented her curves. I saw my pearl choker around her neck, and beneath the veil, I saw that girlish smile that I had fallen in love with years ago. She looked like as if she came out of a dream, and I never wanted to get up. I lost it then. I didn't care what people thought of me as a tear ran down my cheek. Anne was coming to me willingly and trustingly. I've longed for the day that I could call her my wife, and now it was becoming reality.  
I took Anne's small hand and tucked it into the crook of my arm. Together, we walked up to Reverend Jo.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Anne and Gilbert in holy matrimony..."

Everything was blurred up until the rings and the "I Do's." I was too busy staring into Anne's eyes that were shining with nothing but love in them.

"Gilbert, take this ring, place it on Anne's finger, and repeat after me," said Reverend Jo. "With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed," I said, trying not to let my emotions get the best of me.

"Anne, take this ring, place it on Gilbert's finger, and repeat after me," said Reverend Jo. "With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed," she said, a tear running down her cheek.

"Gilbert, do you take Anne to be your wedded wife, to love and to cherish, to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

I looked into Anne's eyes. "I do."

"Anne, do you take Gilbert to be your wedded husband, to love and to cherish, to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." She rubbed her thumbs against my hands.

"With the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

I lifted the veil over Anne's head and kissed her not once but twice. I kissed her on the tip of her nose, and she smiled.

"I now present to you Dr. and Mrs. Gilbert Blythe."

The crowd applauded as Anne and I walked back up the aisle. I could tell from the mascara running down many faces that there wasn't a dry eye during the ceremony. I never realized how powerful our simple ceremony could be. We took pictures with just about everyone for the next half hour or so while Marilla, Diana, and Rachel helped light all the candles and lanterns hanging in the reception area.

The sun finally set, meaning that it was time to party. The white canopy looked absolutely gorgeous with the candlelight and lanterns illuminating it, and the guests especially seemed to enjoy their surroundings and the atmosphere. Fred grabbed the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming out tonight. I'm proud to present for the very first time, the newlyweds, Anne and Gilbert Blythe!" Anne and I walked towards the middle of the dance floor while the guests applauded and whistled. "And now...the first dance."

I took Anne's left hand and kissed it before putting it on my shoulder. The song we chose couldn't have described our feelings for one another more perfectly; it was if it was written especially for us. I put my arm around her waist and swayed to the beat of the music with her, completely blocking everything around me and focusing on nothing but her.

_I could stay awake just to hear you breathing  
Watch you smile while you are sleeping  
While you're far away and dreaming  
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender  
I could stay lost in this moment forever  
Well, every moment spent with you  
Is a moment I treasure_

_I don't wanna close my eyes  
I don't wanna fall asleep  
'Cause I'd miss you, babe  
And I don't wanna miss a thing  
'Cause even when I dream of you  
The sweetest dream would never do  
I'd still miss you, babe  
And I don't wanna miss a thing_

_Lying close to you  
Feeling your heart beating  
And I'm wondering what you're dreaming  
Wondering if it's me you're seeing  
Then I kiss your eyes and thank God we're together  
And I just wanna stay with you  
In this moment forever, forever and ever_

_I don't wanna close my eyes  
I don't wanna fall asleep  
'Cause I'd miss you, babe  
And I don't wanna miss a thing  
'Cause even when I dream of you  
The sweetest dream would never do  
I'd still miss you, babe  
And I don't wanna miss a thing_

_I don't wanna miss one smile  
I don't wanna miss one kiss  
Well, I just wanna be with you  
Right here with you, just like this  
I just wanna hold you close  
Feel your heart so close to mine  
And just stay here in this moment  
For all the rest of time_

_I don't wanna close my eyes  
I don't wanna fall asleep  
'Cause I'd miss you, babe  
And I don't wanna miss a thing  
'Cause even when I dream of you  
The sweetest dream would never do  
I'd still miss you, babe  
And I don't wanna miss a thing _

When the song was over, Anne and I walked over to our table and patiently waited for dinner to begin. The string quartet played soft music as we ate, and the stars began to shine outside. It was so lovely and enjoyable that I didn't want things to end. When it time for us to cut the cake, Anne threatened to throw cake in my face, but I didn't let her. She did manage to shove some in my mouth though, and I shoved some in her mouth, too. While the caters were busy cutting up the cake, Anne and the rest of the girls went out to the dance floor for the bouquet toss.

"1...2...3!"

With a simple flick of the wrist, the bouquet was tossed out into the crowd and was caught by none other than Josie Pye.

"Oh my gosh, I caught it!" she cried. "I caught it!"

"Oh boy," mumbled Mrs. Harmon Andrews.

I just laughed. It was my turn to go up there for the garter toss. I got a chair for Anne, and she had a seat in it. The guys lined up behind me and waited for me to get it. I took my time and flirted my way to get it as I slowly reached up underneath Anne's dress and playfully touched her leg.

"Gil!" she exclaimed to me. "You know there's a whole bunch of guys behind you waiting for you to get that garter, right? You can't take all night, babe."

"Or can I?" I asked, giving her a wink.

I finally stopped fooling around and got the garter off of Anne's leg. I threw it up, and luckily for Josie, Moody caught it.

"I'm getting married!" exclaimed Josie. Mrs. Pye just shook her head.

The rest of the reception involved dancing, lots and lots of dancing. I'm pretty shy on the dance floor to be honest, but Anne convinced me to do it. We danced until midnight, and by then, we were pretty tired. We said goodbye to our guests, but there was one last surprise.

"Gil...Anne...we have something for you," said Mom, bringing Dad, Marilla, and Uncle Dave up with her.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Well, we can't even begin to express how happy we are for you two, so as part of a combined effort, we have a special gift for you."

"Gil," said Uncle Dave, "I know you've been looking for a job while planning for this wedding, so I'm offering you a special spot at my practice."

My jaw dropped. "Huh?"

"Honey, that's terrific!" Anne cried, throwing her arms around my neck.

"Uncle Dave, are you sure?" I asked, not believing my ears.

"I'm sure, my boy," he replied. "You've worked hard for it and deserve it."

"Thanks." I shook his hand.

"And that's not all!" exclaimed Mom. "Well for the combined portion of this gift, Uncle Dave, Marilla, and your father and I have pooled in our money together and bought you two a little house in Four Winds."

Anne and I were stunned. Was she being serious?

"Are you kidding?" asked Anne, her eyes widened in surprise.

"No, I'm not kidding, Anne-girl. I have the keys right here if you don't believe me." She took the keys out of her purse and handed them to me. Marilla and Dad smiled.

"I...I don't know what to say," I said. "T-thank you."

Anne and I hugged all of them. We were truly grateful for what they had done for us.

"You don't have to move in right away," said Dad. "There's always after the honeymoon." He gave me a wink.

We said our goodbyes as Anne and I got in my car to drive to the hotel near the airport since we were leaving first thing in the morning for Hawaii, our honeymoon destination. I got behind the wheel, put my arm around my bride, and drove. Anne put her head on my shoulder as I drove, and she kissed my cheek. I couldn't wait to spend our first night together as husband and wife, and I looked forward to many, many more.

* * *

I awoke the next morning with my wife asleep in my arms. I still couldn't believe that all of this was really happening. Anne and I were a married couple now, and we were about to head off on our honeymoon. Looking back on the night before, it was filled with endless love and passion. I let my emotions go and did my best to show Anne how much I loved her; it was the same with her. I can't describe how wonderful it was to be with her at last, and all I could say is that married life is good, _real _good.

"Good morning, Gil," Anne said softly as she was opening her eyes.

"Good morning, Anne. How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful." She was smiling.

"You ready to go relax on the beach in Hawaii?"

"Most definitely. I could use a little sun; I need a tan."

"I love you just the way you are." I kissed her on the cheek.

She blushed a little. "I love you, too."

We then got out of bed and got ready to go to the airport. After checking our bags, making our way through airport security, and getting through customs, Anne and I boarded the plane. For some reason, the flight attendants knew that we were newlyweds and gave us two glasses of champagne as soon as we were seated. I guess that's one form of first class service even though we weren't seated in first class.

Our flight was smooth, and once we arrived in Hawaii, we were greeted with the sights and sounds of the beach. If was as if it were calling for us, enticing us with the crystal clear water and grainy sand, so we quickly checked into our hotel nearby, got in our bathing suits, and headed for the beach. True enough, it was just as amazing as we thought it would be. The whole environment was peaceful and calm, and it was the perfect place to spend our first days as a married couple. To my dismay, the week flew by rather quickly. I didn't want to leave, but I knew we had to. After all, we had a house to move in to, and I had a job and patients waiting for me.


	12. Chapter 12

I have good news, and I have bad news. I'll start with the bad news. There is only one more chapter after this one. The good news is that I have an idea for a new story. I don't know exactly how it will work, but I have some time after finals to figure it out.

- ladybell

* * *

**Chapter 12**

When the plane landed in Avonlea, Anne and I got to work on moving our belongings to our new house in Four Winds since we were both so eager to begin a new chapter in our lives. We hired a couple movers to help us along with the process. Our first stop was at my parents' house. Mom was a little emotional at the sight of Dad, Anne, and me moving my things from my old room into the trucks, saying "My baby's all grown up now" softly to herself, but she regained her composure before saying goodbye to us. Our next stop was at Green Gables, and Marilla had almost the same reaction as Mom. She too couldn't believe that the day would finally come for Anne to move out. Looking into her eyes, I could tell that she still thought of us as children.

"It was as if she came here only yesterday," she whispered when I wasn't looking.

After everything was loaded, Marilla went outside to hug us both and to wish us well. She was holding back tears, and so was Anne.

"It'll be alright, Marilla," Anne assured her. "Gil and I will be okay, and if you need me, you know where to find me. You'll always be welcome at our home."

She silently nodded. The movers secured the trucks, and Anne and I got into our car. Marilla waved goodbye to us, and when she wasn't in sight in the rear view mirror, Anne sunk down in her seat. This was going to be hard on her; I could tell. While I knew she excited to be moving into our brand new home, the move also meant that she would have to leave her beloved Green Gables behind. It was the first place that felt like a true home to her, so of course, she was reluctant to let it go. I wanted nothing more than to make her happy, and I hoped and prayed that I could.

"Are you alright, Anne-girl?" I asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine," she replied, wiping a tear with the back of her hand.

"We don't have to do this."

She looked straight into my eyes. "What?"

"We don't have to do this. If you want, we can turn around right now, and -"

She cut me off. "No, Gil. This isn't about me; it's about us. We have to do this for us." She took my free hand and held it. "I love you, Gil. I want us to have a home together and begin a new life. Sure, it'll get some getting used to being away from the home that I've known for so long, but...home for me is wherever you are."

I grinned slightly. "I love you, Carrots." I leaned over to give her a kiss.

"Watch it, honey, or you'll run off the road," she teased.

"I'm willing to take that risk." I winked at her.

"Gil, what am I gonna do with you?" she asked, shaking her head in a mock dramatic fashion.

"Oh...I don't know...kiss me again?"

After a playful slap on the arm, I got my kiss, and we finally made it to our new house. It was a cute little home that had just enough "scope for the imagination." There was a little garden that looked out into the open along with a gorgeous view. It had four bedrooms and two bathrooms with a hearth fire in it (something that I had always wanted), and there was enough room for the two of us.

"Do you like it, Anne?" I asked.

"I love it," she said, putting her arm around my waist. "It's perfect, absolutely perfect. I still can't believe Marilla and your parents and Uncle Dave pitched in their money to get us this place."

"I know."

The movers were getting a bit impatient, so we told them where we wanted our things placed. After everything was unloaded, we realized that we pretty much had two of everything, and this house wasn't big enough to hold everything we had.

"What are we gonna do?" asked Anne.

"Decide what works best with the space and donate the rest to charity?" I suggested.

"That sounds good, but what if we can't decide what stays and what goes?"

"Hmm...rock, paper, scissors?"

"Deal."

It took Anne and me a little while to decide what to keep and what to give away. We did have to resort to rock, paper, scissors a few times, and luckily for me, I got to keep my TV, couch, and Batman action figure. (What? Who said you had to grow up when you got married?) Since it was getting late, we decided to give the rest of our belongings away the next day. Uncle Dave stopped by to give us our official welcome to the new house and to see how we were with unpacking everything; I'm assuming Mom or Dad called him after we left.

"I can't wait to start decorating," said Anne to Uncle Dave. "I love this place so much already; it's a cozy little home just waiting to have something done to it. It's a blank canvas that I can begin with, and I like starting from scratch."

"I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to do that, my dear," he said. He turned to me. "Gil, do you know when you'll be able to start the job?"

"Anytime you need me, Uncle Dave," I replied. "I'll be ready."

"How about tomorrow?"

My jaw dropped. "Tomorrow? Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious."

I was shocked. As much as I wanted to start right away, I knew I couldn't leave Anne in our new house alone by herself with loads of boxes that needed to be sorted out. It wouldn't be fair to her. "Umm...on second thought, would it be alright if I waited a few days?" I asked. "I don't want to make Anne unpack everything by herself when I'm at work, and I know I won't be able to help her out much since my schedule will be unpredictable." I hoped he would understand.

"That'll be fine," he replied to my relief. "You both need time to settle in, and those extra days will give you more time to relax before you start those irregular hours."

"Thanks," I said.

"Don't mention it, my boy. Now go help that pretty little wife of yours unpack, and get started on a family ASAP. Do you hear me?"

I laughed. "Sure do."

Anne laughed as well. We said good night to Uncle Dave and did as much as we could to organize everything before going to bed. That first night in our new house was special, really special. It was our first night in a place of our own, and we truly felt like a married couple. I wanted to enjoy these next few days with Anne because it would be awhile until we could spend some true quality time together. Being a doctor not only meant helping patients and saving lives, but it meant long hours, little sleep, and randomly getting up at 3 AM sometimes. I was prepared to do what I needed to do, but I wasn't sure how Anne would react to it. She always seemed to worry about me, and since we were newlyweds, I didn't know if she would be supportive or would look down upon the whole situation. Maybe I'm the one who worries too much; who knows?

* * *

The next day Anne and I drove down to donate our leftover belongings to charity. They were grateful for what we did, and it felt good giving something back to the community even though we were new to the area. Later after much focus and concentration, we got everything - and I mean everything - out of the many boxes and into their respective places. Anne was surprised at the speed at which we got it all done. I honestly expected us to finish unpacking at the end of the three days, but I was glad I was wrong. I spent the rest of my time doing other things with Anne. I gave her the go ahead to paint the walls whatever color she desired because I knew she wasn't going to choose neon pink or cryptic black paint for our house. I knew her well enough by now to know that our tastes are very similar.

On the night before my first real day of being a real doctor, Anne and I were laying in bed when she put her arm around my waist, sensing that I was a bit jittery for my first day of work.

"Go get 'em tomorrow, Gil," she said barely above a whisper.

"Thanks, honey," I said. "I'll need it."

"Why? Are you scared?"

"Not really, but I'm a little nervous."

"That's normal, sweetie. Everyone gets nervous on their first day."

"I know, but what if I mess up somehow? And you know mess ups in the medical world can probably cost millions of dollars or even lives!"

"You can't worry about the 'what if's.' If you do that, then you're more than likely to mess up. You have to be calm, cool, and confident but not cocky. Just relax, okay?"

"Okay." I kissed her on the cheek. "I'm so glad I have a smart wife."

She laughed. "What makes you think I'm so smart, Gil?"

"You married me."

She snickered, turned off the light, and kissed me good night. I knew I had a long day ahead of me, and I needed as much sleep as I could get.

* * *

I woke up early the next morning, anxious to get to work. I tried my best not to disturb Anne while she was asleep, but she woke up anyway. She was just as excited as I was about my first day and wanted to make sure that I had enough energy to last through my long hours. After eating breakfast and getting ready, I gave Anne one last kiss before heading out the door.

When I arrived at the hospital, I met Uncle Dave who was sitting in the break room and waiting for me.

"Good to see ya, Gil," he said, shaking my hand.

"You, too," I said.

"Ready to get started?"

"Oh yes."

He got up from his seat and led me to my first patient, Jane Gibson, but before that, he put her file in my hands. "It's a pretty bad case," he explained. "She was involved in a multi-car pile up the other night, and it's a miracle that she's still alive. Look at her MRI results."

I opened the folder and was astonished with what I saw. "Wow." Her brain was far from the normal condition of a healthy one, and it appeared as if she escaped death by a matter of centimeters. As lucky as she was, the battle wasn't over yet.

"See what I mean?" asked Uncle Dave.

"Yeah," I replied, still shocked at the test results.

"Her husband and son are in there with her in her room. They're taking it pretty hard, so be gentle."

I nodded. I swallowed hard and remembered what Anne said to me the night before: _Be cool, calm, and confident but not cocky._ After taking a deep breath, I walked in the room.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Gibson," I managed to say, even though Jane was still asleep.

Mr. Gibson turned to face me. "Hello, Doctor," he said.

"How is your wife?" I asked.

"Hanging in there." He looked at his young son who was no older than five. "Ty's worried about his mother; he's afraid that something will happen to her."

"Doc, is Mommy going to die?" Ty asked, looking straight into my eyes.

I didn't want to lie to this little boy. "I don't know," I replied honestly, returning his gaze. "I don't want to make any judgments too soon. Her case is very special, Ty. Your mommy is very lucky to be here after a bad crash like that. She is strong, and she will fight to the end, no matter what happens."

"You're darn right about that," commented Mr. Gibson. "Jane's always been a fighter, ever since the day we met."

"Doc, if Mommy dies, will she go to Heaven?" asked Ty curiously.

"She will," I replied, meaning it from the bottom of my heart. "She will."

Ty looked as if he was a little more at ease after that, and his father mouthed "Thank you" to me. I simply nodded. He shook my hand, and I told him that I would be back later to check on them. When I came back after visiting other patients, I noticed that Jane wasn't in her room. I went out into the waiting room to ask one of the nurses what happened when I spotted Ty and his father sitting in a corner by themselves silently sobbing. I went over to them.

"Doc," said Mr. Gibson barely above a whisper. "Jane...s-she's...gone."

I froze. Gone? I couldn't believe it. I knew from Day One of med school that I would someday lose a patient, but I never expected it to happen so soon. Jane Gibson left behind a loving husband and child who were now beginning to mourn.

"I'm s-sorry," I said, knowing that it wasn't going to do much to relieve the pain. "I wish I could have done more to help her." I felt so bad inside.

"It was her time, Doc," Mr. Gibson said. "She's in a better place now, and I know she's looking over me and Ty."

"You're a strong man."

He shook my hand again. "Thank you for all you've done for us."

"You don't need to thank me." I barely did anything, and this man was thanking me.

"No. I need to. You were honest when others would have lied through their teeth and put us at ease; I can never thank you enough for that."

"You're welcome."

I went back to the break room where I met Uncle Dave in the morning and found him in there. I didn't even have to say a word, and he knew what I was thinking.

"It's always hard losing a patient," said Uncle Dave. "It's never easy, Gil."

"I never expected it to be so soon," I said. "I never imagined that for my first day at work."

"I know; I know."

He patted me on the back, but just then, I received an emergency phone call.

"Dr. Gilbert Blythe, we need you here immediately. Mrs. Chelsea Taylor is going into labor early, and her doctor is on vacation," said the nurse frantically.

"I'm coming!" I said, sprinting out of the break room.

"Take it easy!" shouted Uncle Dave.

I made it just in time. I was able to get into my surgery clothes and wash up before delivering Mrs. Taylor's baby. I walked into the room and shook hands with the Taylors.

"I'm Dr. Gilbert Blythe. I'm in for Dr. Phillips who is on vacation right now," I introduced myself.

"I'm so glad you're here," said Mrs. Taylor before letting out a painful scream.

"I need to examine you quickly to see if you're ready to push or not."

"Okay."

I determined that she was ready to push, so I instructed her to do so. Her husband held her hand.

"C'mon, honey. Push!" he encouraged her.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" she screamed.

"I see the head," I said. "Keep going. You're doing great."

She kept on pushing. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Slowly but surely, the rest of the baby came out, and a new baby girl was born.

"It's a girl!" I exclaimed. The Taylors were so happy.

After I cut the cord, I handed the baby to a nurse to clean her up before gently giving her to her mother.

"Happy birthday, honey," said her mother. "I'm your mommy, and I'll love you forever." She kissed her on the forehead before handing her to her father.

"Hey, pumpkin," he said. "You're the prettiest girl on the planet. I love you, baby."

I couldn't help but smile. This was a bittersweet moment for me. After losing one of my patients earlier in the day, I witnessed the birth of a beautiful and healthy baby girl.

"What are you going to name her?" I finally asked.

"Jane Alison Taylor."

I smiled. It was a little ironic yet sweet at the same time. I said goodbye to the happy parents and Uncle Dave and went back home. I was tired. Anne was waiting for me and wanted to know how my day went. I told her my entire tale from start to finish, and at the end of it, she gave me a hug.

"Well, honey," she began, "you survived your first day, and it'll be smooth sailing from now on."

"I'm not too sure about that," I said, "but at least I know what to expect now."

She didn't say anything more and suggested that we both go to bed to rest for the next day. Sleep never sounded better.


	13. Chapter 13

This is the last chapter. :( Thank you all for reading and giving me your input. One last final tomorrow and then I can work on the fun stuff (i.e. new story)!

VivoRisataAmore, I'm glad you love it!  
CourtneyRBowman, why does Anne get all the luck? She needs to help us out, too! :P

- ladybell

* * *

**Chapter 13**

A few months passed. Sure enough like Anne had said, it was smooth sailing at work. I did have those days when I had to get up in the middle of the night, but it all worked out in the end. Anne was supportive as always. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was proud of me, and that meant a lot.

One night when I came home early from work, I found her waiting for me. She was smiling and was glowing. I could tell that there was something she wanted to tell me, but I had no idea what.

"Hey, Carrots," I said, greeting her with a kiss.

"Hey, Gil," she said, putting her arms around my neck.

"You're glowing like I've never seen before. Is there something you wanna tell me?"

She nodded her head. She took my hand and led me down next to her on the couch. "Gil...I wasn't feeling well lately, and it's been a month since I've had...well...you know what. I had my suspicions, so I got tested and...I'm pregnant."

My eyed widened. "Pregnant?" I whispered.

"Yes."

I smiled the same smile when Anne had finally accepted my proposal. I put my arms around her as I kissed her cheek. "I love you, my Anne-girl. I can't believe that we're finally gonna be parents!"

"I knew you'd be happy," she said, lightly touching my cheek.

"How do you feel?" I asked.

"Great...well, at least before the morning sickness kicks in."

"Did you call Marilla yet?"

"No, only because I wanted to tell you first."

That same goofy expression was still on my face. "Call her, Carrots. I know she'll be excited."

I handed her the phone, and she called Marilla. She was overjoyed when Anne told her the news and congratulated both of us. Her reaction was nothing compared to my parents'. Anne put them on speaker phone, and I was sure my ear drums busted because of their screams after Anne told them the news. They were thrilled.

"I'm getting a grandchild! I'm getting a grandchild!" sang Mom in the background.

"Calm down, Donna," Dad told her. "You're gonna scare the kids!"

"Oh, John. I know you're just as excited about this as I am!"

"Well...you're right about that."

I couldn't help but laugh. This was a cause for celebration.

* * *

Anne's pregnancy went along pretty well. Despite the morning sickness and constant cravings for either pancakes or tacos, she was upbeat and happy. She never looked more beautiful than when she was carrying our child.

"Honey, do I look fat?" asked Anne randomly one day.

"What?" I asked in surprise, nearly choking on my own saliva.

"Do I look fat?"

"No, Carrots; you don't look fat."

She didn't believe me. "Are you lying to me, Gil?"

I shook my head. Of course, I didn't think she was fat! She just looked - well - pregnant. "No, I'm not lying, Anne-girl."

"Then how come I can't see my feet and can't bend over?"

"Because you're carrying a growing baby in your belly."

"I know. It's just that I feel so funny and sick!"

I put my arms around her neck and looked straight into her eyes. "Anne, I love you. I loved you before, and I love you even more now. You look beautiful, absolutely stunning with that glow about you. You've never looked happier, and I honestly believe that I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have a wife as attractive and as smart as you are."

A smile escaped from her lips. "Really?"

"Really." I was rewarded with a kiss after that.

* * *

Five months into Anne's pregnancy, we finally found out the sex of the baby.

"It's a boy!" exclaimed Uncle Dave.

"A boy?" Anne and I asked, stunned.

"Yes."

We were happy. I hugged her on the spot and put my hands on her belly. There was a little boy growing in there. I felt him kick at that moment and smiled.

"Our little boy's gonna be a hockey player," I declared.

"What makes you so sure about that, Gil?" Anne asked.

"His kick's powerful enough to take out any defender."

"Well, honey...for one, you're not allowed to kick anyone during the game. And two, you can't force him to become something he doesn't want to be. What if he wants to be a writer or painter or actor?"

"Then I'll back him up one hundred percent and will try to be the best dad I possibly can be."

She smiled. "You're gonna be a great father, Gil."

I blushed. "You think so?"

"I know so."

She pulled me in for a kiss, and Uncle Dave went "Aww." I almost forgot that he was in the room with us.

"So have you decided on any names yet?" he asked.

"Not really," I replied. "What do you think, Carrots?"

She scratched her head. "I know I want to pay tribute to Marilla and Matthew in some way after all they have done for me throughout the years. How about Cuthbert?"

My eyes widened. "Umm...Anne?"

"Yeah?"

"I hate to say this to you, honey, but I'm afraid with a name like that our child will get beat up on the playground at school." She scowled at me. "I'm sorry, but you know kids nowadays. They're cruel!"

She sighed. "You're right."

I gently moved a strand of hair from her face. "Don't fret, Anne."

"Okay. Well...how about James Matthew?"

_James Matthew Blythe_. "I like it. It has a nice ring to it."

She smiled. "Well, I've always liked the name James for some reason, and when you put it together with Matthew, it just sounds right. I don't know why."

"You don't have to know why, Anne. This baby will have a loving family and place to come home to."

"You've got that right," commented Uncle Dave with a grin.

* * *

It was getting close to Anne's due date, and we both were very excited. We had the nursery done with baby blue walls and a border of zoo animals going around. I put together the crib and mobile of mini teddy bears (which I'm very proud of, by the way) along with the diaper changing table. Anne had a rocking chair in the corner where she could rock our little boy to sleep or whenever I wanted to take over for her when she was tired. I always had a warm feeling inside whenever I walked into that room; I couldn't wait until our baby entered the world.

The ladies in the neighborhood took the liberty in throwing Anne a baby shower. They were all very kind and were generous with their gifts: a baby monitor, teddy bears, a music box, extra diapers, etc. It seemed to be too much, and we were overwhelmed with it all. I looked over at Anne who was crying.

"Are you okay, Anne-girl?" I asked, putting my arm around her.

"I'm just so happy," she said through her tears. She put her head on my shoulder. "Pretty soon we're gonna be parents, and I can't wait."

"Neither can I."

* * *

A month later, we got our wish. It was in the middle of the night, and I was fast asleep. Then all of sudden, Anne woke me up.

"Gil...I think my water just broke."

I sprang up out of bed, quickly got changed, grabbed the bag that Anne prepared for months for this moment, and helped Anne into the car. I quickly called Uncle Dave before making my way to the hospital, and then I hit the gas and went as fast as I possibly could. Lucky for me, there was barely anyone on the roads, including the police. I knew Anne was uncomfortable, judging from her screams, so I did the best I could to get to the hospital without crashing.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" she screamed.

"Hold on, honey," I told her. "We're almost there."

I finally made it into the parking lot and hurried to get Anne inside.

"Hello, Dr. Blythe," greeted one of the nurses at the door. "We have a wheelchair ready for your wife right here."

I helped her into the chair and wheeled her into the room where the nurse was leading us to. There, I helped Anne get into a gown and waited for Uncle Dave who ran in after us.

"How are you feeling, Anne?" he asked.

"I'm feeling alright, I guess," she replied. "Uh...ahhhhhhh!"

I took her hand, and she squeezed it so hard that I thought it was going to fall off. "Oww," I said quietly, turning my face in the other direction.

"Gilbert Blythe, you got me into this, and now you're gonna get me out of it!"

Uncle Dave just laughed. "It's okay, Anne. Just breathe and relax."

"Relax?" She asked. "How can I relax in a time like this?"

"Would you like the epidural, dear?"

"Oh yes, please."

He instructed one of the nurses to give Anne the epidural, and she was at ease after that. He examined her and decided that she was ready to push.

"Start pushing, Anne," he instructed.

"Push, honey," I said, cheering her on and holding her hand.

"Okay." She started pushing with all her might.

"I see a part of the head!" exclaimed Uncle Dave.

"You're doing great, Carrots," I said. "Push more."

She pushed harder and harder, and slowly but surely, our son was coming into the world. I was getting speechless. It's one thing to be delivering babies, but it's a totally different thing to be on the other end to see your own child, flesh and blood, being born. With one last push, James Matthew Blythe finally entered the world. Anne was exhausted from all that pushing and leaned back on the bed. Uncle Dave cut the cord and handed our baby to the nurse to clean him up. She handed him back to Uncle Dave who then handed him to Anne.

"He's a healthy and adorable little baby. And better yet, he's my nephew's son," he stated with pride.

Anne just smiled. She looked like the cutest mother in the world holding our newborn. "Hey, baby," she said. "I'm your mommy. You're gonna be loved, Baby Matt. I love you with all my heart." She kissed him on the head, and his tiny little hand went up in the air as if he wanted to wave to us. "Do you wanna hold him, Dad?"

I nodded. I gently lifted my son into my arms. "Hi, son. I'm your daddy." I looked over at Anne who was looking at us with adoration. "So I guess we're calling him Matt after Matthew?" I asked her. She nodded. I looked back at my son. "Well, Matt. We both have a lot to look forward to. When you get a little order, I'll teach you your ABC's, how to shoot a puck into a net, and how to get girls like your mother." Anne gave me a "you-did-not-just-say-that" look, but I laughed and continued. "I'm so glad you're with us, son. Happy birthday." I kissed him on the head and handed him back to Anne.

I couldn't believe my luck. How lucky could one guy be? I had the girl of my dreams by my side, a beautiful and healthy son (with red hair, I might add!), a happy home, and a group of friends and family that love me. I was on Cloud 9; no one could get me off of it. I looked at Anne with Matt in her arms and couldn't help but smile. This was the beginning of yet another chapter in our lives, and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us.

**The End**


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